The archaeology of Ingaanjalwurr rockshelter in Manilikarr Country, western Arnhem Land

Abstract

Archaeological excavations at Ingaanjalwurr rockshelter in western Arnhem Land, Northern Territory, have revealed evidence of human settlement on the East Alligator River floodplain from approximately 1900 years ago through to the twentieth-century. This short report summarises the results of archaeological excavations at the site, focusing on dated distributions of stone artefacts as the primary retrieved cultural material. The excavations revealed two main periods of occupation: the earlier from c. 1900 to 1300 cal. BP and the latter from c. 460-300 cal. BP to the proto-historic period. The findings from Ingaanjalwurr broadly correspond to previously proposed regional settlement trends, whereby Aboriginal settlement shifted to newly stabilised freshwater environments during the later Holocene period.