Results of an archaeological survey of the Hunter River Valley, New South Wales, Australia. Part II: Problems of the Lower Hunter and contacts with the Hawkesbury Valley
Abstract
[Introduction]. The first part of this report, published in 1970, described the survey and excavations carried out in the upper Hunter Valley from its source down to the Singleton area and in the Goulburn Valley from its rising on the watershed of the Divide down to its junction with the Hunter near Denman. The sites selected for excavation were all found to be Bondaian throughout (i.e. backed blades and microliths predominated). The valley sites were dated to around 2000 BP, whereas the one site excavated outside the valley on the Divide, near the headwaters of the Goulburn, appeared to date from about 7750 BP. (But see note at end of introduction.) At this stage, the number of occupation sites investigated was not sufficient to form any conclusions.
On completion of this section of the project at the end of 1967, the intention was to continue the survey downstream to Maitland and the Hunter estuary, in order to provide material for a comparison between Aboriginal exploitation of the freshwater and tidal zones of the river system. However, after extensive reconnaissance, it became clear that any occupation sites on the lower Hunter likely to contain in situ remains had been obliterated or destroyed by the intensive European use of the region....
