Oenpelli Shelters

A group of five sites in Arnhem Land, northern Australia (Padypadiy, Nawamoyn, Malangangerr, Tyimede I and II). Similar tool assemblages dating from 20,000-3000 BC show up at Malanganerr, Nawamoyn, Tyimede II - thick flake scrapers with steep edges, horsehoof cores, stone hammers, grinders, and waisted or grooved ground-edge axes. The ground-edge axes found at Malangangerr and Nawamoyn in levels dated to 20,000-16,000 BC are the oldest examples of edge-grinding known in Australia. The sudden appearance of estuarine species in shell middens of 5000-4000 BC in the Malangangerr and Nawamoyn deposits reflect rising sea levels. About 2000 years later, at all five sites, small stone points and scrapers appeared and continued until the present. There is also much bark painting in the area.

A group of five sites in the East Alligator River area of Arnhem Land, northern Australia. Three sites (Padypadiy, Nawamoyn and Malangangerr) are situated on the riverine plain, subject to wet monsoon flooding, while Tyimede I and II lie 22 km away on the adjoining Arnhem Land plateau, 240 metres above the plain in abrupt escarpment country. From 20,000 be to approximately 3000 be Malangangerr and Nawamoyn contained similar tool assemblages to Tyimede II (from 4500 be), consisting of thick flake scrapers with steep edges, horsehoof cores, stone hammers, grinders, and waisted or grooved ground-edge axes, some of which resembled waisted blades from the New Guinea Highlands, where they are dated to 24,000 be at Kosipe. The ground-edge axes found at Malangangerr and Nawamoyn in levels dated to 20,000-16,000 be are the oldest examples of edge-grinding known in Australia. Similarity of stone tool industries in both plain and upland zones suggested a similarity in economies during the Pleistocene when the sites were 160 km from the sea. The sudden appearance of estuarine species in shell middens of 5000-4000 be in the Malangangerr and Nawamoyn deposits reflected rising sea levels. About 2000 years later, at all five sites, small stone points and scrapers appeared and continued until the present.