Bryant and others have interpreted geomorphological and archaeological evidence from south-central New South Wales (NSW) to infer repeated inundation of this coast by mega-tsunamis in late Holocene time. However, the stratigraphy of two well-dated archaeological sites (Pambula Lake, Bass Point) shows no evidence that these camps were abandoned, or that the marine component of the diet of local Aboriginal peoples changed at or about 500 or 1500 cal. BP, the time of the two most recent inferred mega-tsunamis. In addition, the mean probability distribution of the youngest calibrated radiocarbon ages from 52 archaeological sites on the south-central NSW coast (grouped in three tsunami-susceptibility classes on the basis of site elevation and distance from the shore) does not differ from random expectations, and shows no evidence that sites were permanently abandoned in the aftermath of these inferred events. The mean probability distributions of calibrated radiocarbon ages from 108 charcoal samples from these sites does not differ from random expectations, and offers little support for the inference that the sites were temporarily abandoned about 500 or 1500 cal. BP. Probability distributions based on 70 marine shell ages show strong century-scale cyclicity, but this is likely too regular to be a product of mega-tsunamis. Moreover, changes in shellfish exploitation patterns and adoption of new fishing technologies by Aboriginal people on this coast do not coincide with the times of inferred tsunamis. The archaeological evidence offers no support for the hypothesis that mega-tsunamis inundated this coastline in the late Holocene.
Abbott, D., Biscaye, P., Cole-Dai, J.S. and Breger, D.2005: Evidence from an ice core of a large impact circa 1443 A.D. http://www.agu.org/meetings/fm05/fm05-sessions/fm05_PP31C.html
2.
ANU Archaeological Consultancies1986: An archaeology study of an Aboriginal shell midden at Shellharbour, New South Wales. Unpublished report to NSW Public Works Department by Australian National University.
3.
Attenbrow, V.1992a: Port Jackson Archaeological Project - stage II. Report to Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies on work undertaken between January 1990 and 30 June 1992.
4.
Attenbrow, V.1992b: Shell bed or shell midden. Australian Archaeology34, 3-21.
5.
--- 1993: Preliminary report on 1993 excavations at Balmoral Beach 2. Port Jackson Archaeological Project - Stage II. Unpublished report for NSW National Parks & Wildlife Service and Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies.
6.
--- 1994: Port Jackson Archaeological Project - Stage II (1993). Final report to Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies on work undertaken between January 1993 and March 1994.
7.
--- 1995: Port Jackson Archaeological Project Stage II (1994) - work undertaken between April 1994 and August 1995. Unpublished final report (with additions and amendments 1996) to the Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies.
8.
--- 2002: Sydney's aboriginal past. Investigating the archaeological and historical records. University of New South Wales Press .
9.
--- 2009: Aboriginal fishing on Port Jackson, and the introduction of shell fish-hooks to coastal New South Wales, Australia. In Hutchings, P. and Lunney D., editors, The natural history of Sydney. Royal Zoological Society of New South Wales, in press.
10.
Attenbrow, V. and Conyers, B.1983: Off Bindea Street, Bonnet Bay - proposed residential subdivision; archaeological investigations. Unpublished report to Stocks & Holdings Pty Ltd.
11.
Attenbrow, V. and Steele, D.1995: Fishing in Port Jackson, New South Wales - more than met the eye. Antiquity69, 47-60.
12.
Attenbrow, V., Holland, M. and Seignior, M.1997a: SSM-22563 Archaeological Project. Interim report on excavations undertaken at SSM-22563, HD Robb Reserve, Castle Cove. Unpublished report held at Australian Museum.
13.
Attenbrow, V., Sutherland, L., Baron, J. and Hashimoto, T.1997b: Balmoral Beach Aboriginal Shell Midden. Chronology and Origin of Pumice. Poster presented at the 1997 Archaeometry Conference held at the Australian Museum.
14.
Attenbrow, V., Fullagar, R. and Szpak, C.1998: Stone files and shell fish hooks in southeastern Australia . In Fullagar, R., editor, A closer look: recent Australian studies of stone tools. Sydney University Archaeological Methods Series 6. Archaeological Computing Laboratory, School of Archaeology, University of Sydney, Sydney, 127-48.
15.
Barz, K.1977: Some theoretical and practical aspects of midden sampling as applied to a site at St George's Basin, Jervis Bay. A.C.T. B.A. (Hons.) thesis, Department of Prehistory and Anthropology, Australian National University, Canberra.
16.
Blackwell, A.1982: Bowen Island: further evidence for economic change and intensification on the south coast of New South Wales. In Bowdler, S., editor, Coastal archaeology in eastern Australia. Department of Prehistory, Research School of Pacific Studies, Australian National University, 46-51.
17.
Boot, P.1994: Recent research into the prehistory of the hinterland of the south coast of New South Wales. In Sullivan, M., Brockwell, S. and Webb, A., editors, Archaeology in the North: proceedings of the 1993 Australian Archaeological Association conference. North Australia Research Unit, Australian National University, 319-40.
18.
Bowdler, S.1970: Bass Point: the excavation of a south-east Australian shell midden showing cultural and economic change. Unpublished B.A. (Hons.) thesis, Department of Anthropology, University of Sydney .
19.
--- 1976: Hook, line, and dilly-bag: an interpretation of an Australian shell midden. Mankind10, 248-58.
20.
Brayshaw, H., Dallas, M., Byrne, D., Baker, N., Donlon, D. and Ross, A.1992: Sydney destination resort excavation of site 52-3-724 Bate Bay, Kurnell Peninsula NSW. Unpublished report to Besmaw Pty Ltd.
21.
Bryant, E. 2001: Tsunami: the underrated hazard. University Press. Bryant, E.A. and Nott, J. 2001: Geological indicators of large tsunamis in Australia. Natural Hazards 24, 231-49.
22.
Bryant, E.A. and Young, R.W.1996: Bedrock-sculpturing by tsunami, south coast New South Wales, Australia. Journal of Geology104, 565-82.
23.
Bryant, E.A., Young, R.W. and Price, D.M.1992: Evidence of tsunamis sedimentation on the southeastern coast of Australia, Journal of Geology100, 753-65.
24.
--- 1996: Tsunamis as a major control on coastal evolution, southeastern Australia. Journal of Coastal Research12, 831-40.
25.
Bryant, E.A., Young, R.W., Price, D.M., Pease, M.I. and Wheeler, D.J.1997: The impact of tsunamis on the coastline of Jervis Bay, southeastern Australia. Physical Geography18, 441-60.
26.
Bryant, E.A., Walsh, G. and Abbott, D.2007: Cosmogenic mega-tsunamis in the Australia region: are they supported by Aboriginal and Maori legends? In Piccardi, L. and Masse, W.B., editors, Myth and geology. Geological Society, London, Special Publications, 273, 203-14.
27.
Byrne, D.1986: Survey for aboriginal archaeological sites on the Lindum Road Reserve, Kurnell Peninsula, NSW. Report prepared for Sinclair Knight & Partners.
28.
Colley, S.M.1997: A pre- and post-contact Aboriginal shell midden at Disaster Bay, New South Wales coast. Australian Archaeology45, 1-19.
29.
Collier, M.1975: Cemetery Point: the analysis and economic interpretation of a midden. B.A.(Hons) thesis, Department of Prehistory and Anthropology , Australian National University.
30.
Dallas, M.2005: Aboriginal archaeological test excavation report, McCue Midden Site, Lot 8 Captain Cook Drive, Kurnell, NSW. Mary Dallas Consulting Archaeologist. Report to Rocla Pty Ltd.
31.
Dallas, M., Irish, P., Steele, D. and Csastka, J.2001: Archaeological excavations of an Aboriginal shell midden Cronulla STP-1 on Captain Cook Drive, Cronulla, New South Wales. Report to Bovis Lend Lease Pty Limited on behalf of Sydney Water.
32.
Dickson, F.P. n.d.a: Aboriginal prehistory of Botany Bay. In Part 2: Historical background . In Anderson, D.J., editor, The Botany Bay Project. A handbook of the Botany Bay region - some preliminary background papers. Botany Bay Project Committee, 44-50.
33.
--- n.d.b: Preliminary report: excavation of a midden at Boat Harbour, Kurnell during August 1971, under Permit No A/1846. Unpublished report to NSW National Parks & Wildlife Service.
34.
--- 1974: Report: excavation of an Aboriginal midden at Boat Harbour, 12 August 1974. Unpublished report to NSW National Parks & Wildlife Service.
35.
Dominey-Howes, D.2007: Geological and historical records of tsunamis in Australia . Marine Geology239, 99-123.
36.
Dominey-Howes, D.T.M., Humphreys, G.S. and Hesse, P.P.2006: Tsunamis and palaeotsunamis depositional signatures and their potential value in understanding the late-Holocene tsunamis record. The Holocene16, 1095-107.
37.
Dyall, L.K.1982: Aboriginal fishing stations on the Newcastle coastline, New South Wales. In Bowdler, S., editor, Coastal archaeology in eastern Australia. Department of Prehistory , Research School of Pacific Studies, Australian National University, 52-62.
38.
Fullagar, R., Head, L., Bryant, E. and Beaman, S.1999: Tsunami disturbance on coastal shell middens: McCauleys Beach, New South Wales. In Hall, J. and McNiven, I.J., editors, Australian coastal archaeology. Research Papers in Archaeology and Natural History, No. 31, ANH Publications, Australian National University, 235-38.
39.
Gillespie, R.1977: Sydney University natural radiocarbon measurements IV . Radiocarbon19, 101-10.
40.
Gillespie, R. and Temple, R.B.1977: Radiocarbon dating of shell middens. Archaeology and Physical Anthropology in Oceania12, 26-37.
41.
--- 1979: Sydney University natural radiocarbon measurements V. Radiocarbon21, 95-106.
42.
Glover, E.1974: Report on the excavation of a second rock shelter (code 2CU5) at Currcurrang, N.S.W. In Megaw, J.V.S., editor, The recent archaeology of the Sydney district . Australian Institute of Aboriginal Studies, 13-19.
43.
Goff, J., Hulme, K. and McFadgen, B.2003: `Mystic Fires of Tamaatea': attempts to creatively rewrite New Zealand's cultural and tectonic past. Journal of the Royal Society of New Zealand33, 795-809.
44.
Hiscock, P.2003: Quantitative exploration of size variation and the extent of reduction in Sydney Basin assemblages: a tale from the Henry Lawson Drive rockshelter. Australian Archaeology57, 64-74.
45.
Hughes, P.J. and Djohadze, V.1980: Radiocarbon dates from archaeological sites on the south coast of New South Wales and the use of depth/age curves. Department of Prehistory, Research School of Pacific Studies, Australian National University, Canberra: Occasional Papers in Prehistory No. 1, 28 pp.
46.
Hughes, P.J. and Sullivan, M.E.1974: The re-deposition of midden material by storm waves. Journal and Proceedings of the Royal Society of New South Wales107, 6-10.
47.
Hughes, P.J., Hermes, M. and Lance, A.1984: North Head Shell Midden, Batemans Bay, NSW: analyses of midden contents. A report to National Parks and Wildlife Service, South East Region.
48.
Hutchinson, I. and Crowell, A.L.2007: Recurrence and extent of great earthquakes in southern Alaska during the late Holocene from an analysis of the radiocarbon record of land-level change and village abandonment. Radiocarbon49, 1323-85.
49.
Hutchinson, I. and McMillan, A.D.1997: Archaeological evidence for village abandonment associated with late Holocene earthquakes at the northern Cascadia subduction zone. Quaternary Research48, 79-87.
50.
Kigoshi, K. and Kobayashi, H.1965: Gakushin natural radiocarbon measurements IV. Radiocarbon7, 10-23.
51.
Kumar, M.2006: A re-evaluation of tektites associated with the proposed Mahuika impact. Earth and Environmental Science Journalism; Science Research Project, Columbia University. www.ldeo.columbia.edu/ edu/eesj/projects/kumar.htm
52.
Lampert, R.J.1966: An excavation at Durras North, New South Wales. Archaeology and Physical Anthropology in Oceania1, 83-118.
53.
-- 1971: Burrill Lake and Currarong. Terra Australis 1. Department of Prehistory, Research School of Pacific Studies, The Australian National University.
54.
Lampert, R. and Steele, D.1993: Archaeological studies at Bomaderry Creek, New South Wales . In Specht, J., editor, F.D. McCarthy, commemorative papers (archaeology, anthropology, rock art). Records of the Australian Museum, Supplement 17, 55-75.
55.
Mackay, R. and White, J.P.1987: Musselling on the NSW coast. Archaeology in Oceania22, 107-10.
56.
McDonald, J.1992a: The archaeology of the Angophora Reserve rock shelter. Environmental Heritage Monograph Series, No. 1, New South WalesNational Parks and Wildlife Service.
57.
--- 1992b: The Great Mackerel rockshelter excavation: women in the archaeological record? Australian Archaeology35, 32-50.
58.
-- 2000: Salvage excavation of Berry Island No. 3 (NPWS 45-6-1512) at Berry Island, near Wollstonecraft, NSW. Report to the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NSW) and the NSW Police Department.
59.
Megaw, J.V.S.1974: The recent archaeology of the south Sydney district - a summary. In Megaw, J.V.S., editor, The recent archaeology of the Sydney district. Australian Institute of Aboriginal Studies, 35-38.
60.
Megaw, J.V.S. and Roberts, A.1974: The 1967 excavations at Wattamolla Cove - Royal National Park, New South Wales. In Megaw, J.V.S. , editor, The recent archaeology of the Sydney District . Australian Institute of Aboriginal Studies, 1-12.
61.
Megaw, J.V.S. and Wright, R.V.S.1966: The excavation of an Aboriginal rock-shelter on Gymea Bay, Port Hacking, N.S.W. Archaeology and Physical Anthropology in Oceania1, 23-50.
62.
Monzier, M., Robin, C. and Eissen, J.-P.1994: Kuwae: the forgotten caldera. Journal of Volcanology and Geothermal Research59, 207-18.
63.
Nichol, S.L., Lian, O.B. and Carter, C.H.2003: Sheet gravel evidence for a late Holocene tsunamis run-up on beach dunes, Great Barrier Island, New Zealand. Sedimentary Geology155, 129-45.
64.
Nott, J.1997: Extremely high-energy wave deposits inside the Great Barrier Reef, Australia: determining the cause - tsunamis or tropical cyclone. Marine Geology141, 193-207.
65.
-- 2000: Records of prehistoric tsunamis from boulder deposits; evidence from Australia. Science of Tsunamis Hazards18, 3-14.
66.
O'Donnell, G. and Walker, M.J. n.d.: Archeological excavations at Reef Beach, Balgowlah, NSW. Unpublished report to New South Wales National Parks and Wildlife Service.
67.
Paton, R. and Macfarlane, I.1989: An excavation of Abrahams Bosom rockshelter 1 near Currarong, Jervis Bay, New South Wales. A report to the New South Wales National Parks and Wildlife Service and the New South Wales Department of Lands.
68.
Poiner, G.1974: The trial excavation of an estuarine rock shelter at Yowie Bay. In Megaw, J.V.S., editor, The recent archaeology of the Sydney district. Australian Institute of Aboriginal Studies, 28-34.
69.
Polach, H.A., Stipp, J.J., Golson, J. and Lowering, J.F.1967: ANU radiocarbon date listI. Radiocarbon9, 15-27.
70.
Price, D., Bryant, E. and Young, R.1999: Thermoluminescence evidence for the deposition of coastal sediments by tsunamis wave action. Quaternary International56, 123-28.
71.
Roy, P.S. and Crawford, E.A.1981: Holocene geological evolution of the southern Botany Bay - Kurnell region, central New South Wales coast. Records of the Geological Survey of NSW20, 159-250.
72.
Smith, L.J., Rich, E. and Hesp, P.1990: Aboriginal sites on Kurnell Peninsula: a management study. Vol. 1. Unpublished report prepared for NSW National Parks & Wildlife Service, Sydney, and the Australian Heritage Commission.
73.
Snelson, W.J., Sullivan, M.E. and Preece, N.D.1986: Nundera Point - an experiment in stabilizing a fordune shell midden. Australian Archaeology23, 25-41.
74.
Stockton, E.D.1981a: Reflections around the campfire. The Artefact6, 3-16.
75.
-- 1981b: Recent dates for large tool assemblages on the central coast, N.S.W. The Artefact6, 89-95
76.
-- 1982: Large tool assemblages on the coast of New South Wales . In Bowdler, S., editor, Coastal archaeology in eastern Australia. Department of Prehistory, Research School of Pacific Studies, The Australian National University , 63-66.
77.
Sullivan, M.E.1982: Aboriginal shell middens in the coastal landscape of New South Wales. Unpublished Ph.D. thesis, Australian National University.
78.
-- 1984: A shell midden excavation at Pambula Lake on the far south coast of New South Wales. Archaeology in Oceania19, 1-15.
79.
-- 1987: The recent prehistoric exploitation of edible mussel in Aboriginal shell middens in southern New South Wales. Archaeology in Oceania22, 97-106.
80.
Switzer, A.D. and Jones, B.G.2008: Large-scale washover sedimentation in a freshwater lagoon from the southeast Australian coast: sea-level change, tsunami or exceptionally large storm?The Holocene18, 787-803.
81.
Tindale, N.B.1964: Radiocarbon dates of interest to Australian archaeologists . Australian Journal of Science27, 24.
82.
Tracey, R.1974: Three minor sites near Curracurrang Cove with a preliminary note on a rock shelter at Newport, New South Wales. In Megaw, J.V.S., editor, The recent archaeology of the Sydney district . Australian Institute of Aboriginal Studies, 19-27.
83.
Walker, M.J. n.d.: Excavations at Reef Beach, Balgowlah, NSW in 1974: a preliminary report. Unpublished report for NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service.
84.
Webb, E., Cane, S., Aiken, G. and Lance, A.1986: An excavation and analysis of two Aboriginal shell middens near Merimbula, New South Wales. Unpublished report to Sinclair Knight and Partners Pty Ltd. The Australian National University Archaeological Consultancies , ANUTECH Pty Ltd.
85.
White, J.P. and Wieneke, C. n.d.: Henry Lawson Drive rockshelter excavation report. Unpublished report prepared for the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service.
Supplementary Material
Please find the following supplemental material available below.
For Open Access articles published under a Creative Commons License, all supplemental material carries the same license as the article it is associated with.
For non-Open Access articles published, all supplemental material carries a non-exclusive license, and permission requests for re-use of supplemental material or any part of supplemental material shall be sent directly to the copyright owner as specified in the copyright notice associated with the article.
