Synthesis of results: towards an archaeology of the southern Curtis Coast

Chapter 14 of 'Coastal Themes: An Archaeology of the Southern Curtis Coast, Queensland'

This chapter synthesises the data detailed in the preceding eight site report chapters and alsodraws on survey data discussed earlier. It focusses on major indices used to identify continuity andchange in the regional archaeological record. These data have quantitative and qualitativedimensions. First, the distribution of radiocarbon dates is used to describe and evaluate regionalchronology, with comparisons drawn from the broader southeast Queensland area. Second, sitecontents are examined with an emphasis on shell, fish bone, charcoal and stone artefacts. Shellfishremains inform on diet breadth, intensity of occupation and habitat preferences. Fish bone andother marine vertebrate remains contribute to an understanding of the antiquity of marine fishingin the wider region and the role of fishing in the local subsistence economy. Charcoal abundance isassociated with the intensity of human land-use. Stone artefacts are assessed for raw materialprocurement patterns, technological strategies and potential exchange relationships. Third,regional variation in site structure is examined to elucidate patterns in the size and form of sitesthrough time and space. Covariation in quantitative and qualitative attributes of these datacategories is employed to explore patterns in the regional archaeological record. Finally, a descriptivemodel is proposed linking the identified patterns to broader frameworks of interpretation witha view to building an understanding of Aboriginal lifeways on the southern Curtis Coastthroughout the late Holocene.