Phased redevelopment of an ancient Gunditjmara fish trap over the past 800 years: Muldoons Trap Complex, Lake Condah, southwestern Victoria

IJ McNiven; J Crouch; T Richards; K Sniderman; N Dolby; G Mirring

Journal article

Phased redevelopment of an ancient Gunditjmara fish trap over the past 800 years: Muldoons Trap Complex, Lake Condah, southwestern Victoria

IJ McNiven, J Crouch, T Richards, K Sniderman, N Dolby, G Mirring

Australian Archaeology | Published : 2015

DOI: 10.1080/03122417.2015.11682064

Abstract

Critics point out that a weakness of Lourandos' 'intensification' paradigm for southwestern Victoria is a lack of dates for iconic fish traps of the Lake Condah region. McNiven et al. (2012) detailed excavations at Muldoons Trap Complex at Lake Condah in Gunditjmara Country, where charcoal recovered from channel infill sediments indicated initial construction at least 6600 cal. BP, making the site one of the world's oldest known fish traps. Channel excavations also revealed the addition of basalt block walls dating to ca 600-800 cal. BP. Subsequent excavations at a second location at Muldoons demonstrate that a barrier/dam feature associated with artificial ponding of flood waters and contai..

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University of Melbourne Researchers

Kale Sniderman Author

Grants

Funding Acknowledgements

Special thanks to Monash University AIA2200/3300 and ATS3544 Field Methods class students and particularly Michael Coulter for assistance with excavations. Marshall Weisler and Alice Sutton kindly provided assistance with bone identifications. Sally Stewart, Royal Botanical Gardens library, Melbourne, kindly assisted with archival research. Thanks also to the School of Geography and Environmental Science, and Monash Indigenous Centre, Monash University, for logistical support. Dan Wilkins generously provided advice on palaeolake levels in southwestern Victoria. This paper was improved by the assistance of AA editors Sandra Bowdler, Heather Burke and Lynley Wallis, and the reviews of Heather Builth, lain Davidson and Joe Dortch. Most importantly, we thank the Gunditjmara community, the Gunditj Mirring Traditional Owners Aboriginal Corporation and the Winda-Mara Aboriginal Corporation, for their generous support over the years and for allowing us to jointly undertake archaeological research into their ancestral past and history on Country.