Journal article
Engravings and rock coatings at Pudjinuk Rockshelter No. 2, South Australia
A Roberts, H Burke, A Pring, J Zhao, CT Gibson, RS Popelka-Filcoff, J Thredgold, C Bland
Journal of Archaeological Science Reports | ELSEVIER | Published : 2018
Abstract
This paper presents the results of analyses of rock coatings from Pudjinuk Rockshelter No. 2 in South Australia (SA) using the following methods: 1) Raman microscopy; 2) X-ray powder diffraction; and 3) Scanning electron microscopy coupled with integrated energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. The deposits analysed contained a mixture of thenardite, glauberite, halite, sylvinite, gypsum, probable palygorskite and amorphous carbon. The engravings previously extant at the rockshelter are also described and contextualised. This article provides the first record of thenardite in any context in SA. It is argued that the accumulation of the salt crystals, likely caused or exacerbated by run-off fro..
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Awarded by Australian National Fabrication Facility
Funding Acknowledgements
Thank you to the staff and students who worked on the field school seasons during which some of the observations noted in this paper were made. Thank you also to staff at Aboriginal Affairs and Reconciliation, Department of State Development, Government of South Australia for advice and for providing site cards and photographs. In particular, we thank Alex van Wessem for his ongoing support. The South Australian Museum Archives' staff provided generous assistance with archival documents. The authors acknowledge the expertise, equipment and support provided by the Australian Microscopy and Microanalysis Research Facility (AMMRF) and the Australian National Fabrication Facility (ANFF) at Flinders University. We thank the private land-holders who allowed us access to the rockshelters. Thanks also to Tom Gara for comments on the Aboriginal Heritage Branch era, Heidelise Josling for assistance with historical research and Chantal Wight, the Flinders University Archaeology Department's terrestrial technical officer, for field support and recording assistance. The authors also acknowledge the expert geomorphological advice provided by Rowl Twidale. Research at the Pudjinuk rockshelters is being funded by the Australian Research Council (LP170100479). Thanks are also due to the anonymous reviewers and Editor for their very useful feedback.