New research by Flinders University and University of South Australia, conducted in partnership with Narungga Nation Aboriginal Corporation and Point Pearce Aboriginal Corporation, has revealed 8000 years of Aboriginal history on South Australia's Yorke Peninsula (Guuranda).
Using radiocarbon dating methods, marine shells and other materials from seven archaeological sites were analysed. Four of the sites were on the mainland at Point Pearce Peninsula (Burgiyana) and three were located on Wardang Island (Waraldi).
These shells, the remnants of meals eaten by Narungga ancestors, provide insights into ways they used their Sea Country.
"These results span a time when Wardang Island (Waraldi) was still attached to the mainland as well as the period after the sea levels rose, following the Last Glacial Maximum," says Flinders University archaeologist and PhD candidate Adrian Mollenmans.
Flinders University Professor Amy Roberts says the "dates reveal the challenges faced by Narungga ancestors as parts of their country were inundated by the sea and new islands were formed-as well as the potential impacts of later periods of drying that occurred-these challenges are represented by gaps in the archaeological record."
University of South Australia Professor Lester-Irabinna Rigney, a renowned Narungga scholar, added "the stories of sea-level rise and the creation of gulfs and islands have been passed down by our ancestors."
"Our Elders also told us many stories about how the Old People would swim to Wardang Island to collect penguin eggs, fish and conduct other cultural activities-a feat that required skill and knowledge."
The radiocarbon dates also capture the more recent period following European invasion and settlement, showing the ongoing connection that Narungga people have maintained with their coast and islands.
"Our research also reminds us of the dramatic effects of sea-level rise and our responsibility to care for the environment for future generations,' says Professor Rigney.
The paper, 'Burgiyana and Waraldi: A radiocarbon chronology for a selection of coastal and island archaeological sites on Yorke Peninsula/Guuranda, South Australia' (2024) by A. Roberts, A. Mollenmans, L-I. Rigney, Narungga Nation Aboriginal Corporation and Point Pearce Aboriginal Corporation has been published in The Journal of Island and Coastal Archaeology. https://doi.org/10.1080/15564894.2024.2419951
