At the margins: archaeological evidence for Macassan activities in the South Wellesley Islands, Gulf of Carpentaria
Journal Publication ResearchOnline@JCUAbstract
Archaeological, anthropological, historical, linguistic and genetic studies of Macassans and their activities in northern Australia have focused on the extensive industrial trepang processing site complexes of the Cobourg Peninsula and northeast Arnhem Land. Less attention has been given to sites at the geographical peripheries of Macassan industrial activities. Archaeological studies show that the eastern extremity of Macassan activities extended to the Sir Edward Pellew Group. However, ethnographic and historical accounts show that Macassan presence extended to the South Wellesley Islands, over 200 km further east, in the south east Gulf of Carpentaria. Recent archaeological fieldwork reveals new evidence for Macassan activities at the eastern margin. This paper reports preliminary data from five Macassan sites in the South Wellesley Islands.
Journal
Australasian Historical Archaeology
Publication Name
N/A
Volume
32
ISBN/ISSN
1322-9214
Edition
N/A
Issue
N/A
Pages Count
8
Location
N/A
Publisher
Australian Society for Historical Archaeology
Publisher Url
N/A
Publisher Location
N/A
Publish Date
N/A
Url
N/A
Date
N/A
EISSN
N/A
DOI
N/A