New insights into the dynamics of human behaviour during the Last Glacial Maximum and Terminal Pleistocene in the Pilbara, Northwest Australia

Summary

The emerging picture from the Australian archaeological record shows a varied pattern of human responses to the environmental and climatic fluctuations that characterised the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) and the terminal Pleistocene in arid Australia. Archaeological data suggests a decline in site use and reorganization of human landscape use in correlation to broad shifts in climate and environment. The nature of these changes is complex and requires unpacking on a high-resolution scale as it is likely that localised environmental fluctuations strongly influenced mobility and occupation patterns. However, only 11 Australian arid zone sites have unequivocal evidence for LGM occupation and few sites have detailed published analyses of cultural material to understand the nature of Aboriginal occupation at this time. A case study from arid northwest Australia provides a fresh insight into the human-environment relationship and human behavior during the Pleistocene. Material assemblages from several recently excavated rockshelters are analysed to provide a high-resolution narrative of Aboriginal rockshelter use and occupation during the LGM and post-LGM Pleistocene period.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 82nd Annual Meeting, Vancouver, BC (2017)

Keywords

Spatial Coverage

Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 15654