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Calibrating Holocene human environment interactions using ancient narratives The example of Ngurunderi in South Australia3.06 MB
Published VersionCC BY-NC-ND V4.0, Open Access
Journal article
Calibrating Holocene human–environment interactions using ancient narratives: The example of Ngurunderi in South Australia
The Journal of Island and Coastal Archaeology , Vol.20(3), pp.563-587
2025
Appears in UniSC Supported Open Access Outputs
Abstract
The essence of stories of human–environment interactions can be preserved in oral contexts for millennia, creating novel opportunities for humanizing the past. This study examines stories (knowledge-rich narratives) about the ancestral being Ngurunderi, told by Ngarrindjeri peoples of South Australia. Three elements of the Ngurunderi narrative are considered. The first recalls his journey along a 170-km long coastal barrier (Younghusband Peninsula) when this was continuous. The second discusses Ngurunderi’s encounters with what are now islands off the Fleurieu Peninsula, some of which he created, interpreted as memories of when sea level was lower and “islands” were contiguous with the mainland. The third refers to the crossing of a land connection between modern Kangaroo Island and the Fleurieu Peninsula, later submerged to form Backstairs Passage. Using paleogeographic data, the most recent times at which each narrative element could have taken place and observed by people are estimated. This research suggests that: (1) stories about Younghusband Peninsula may be >6700 years cal BP; (2) islands off the Fleurieu Peninsula were created 6800–10,400 cal BP; and (3) submergence of Backstairs Passage occurred 11,000–10,100 cal BP. Narratives are linked to the period of early Holocene sea-level rise, the rapid 8200-cal BP sea-level rise event, and stabilization of sea level 7000–6000 cal BP. These narratives humanize the past and provide information that can be interpreted as both observed coastal and seascape changes as well as past human responses to rising sea level that can inform our future encounters with coastal-landscape change.
Details
- Title
- Calibrating Holocene human–environment interactions using ancient narratives: The example of Ngurunderi in South Australia
- Authors
- Patrick Nunn (Corresponding Author) - University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, School of Law and SocietyRoger Luebbers - Luebbers & Associates (Australia)Patrick Hesp - Flinders UniversityColin Murray-Wallace - University of WollongongChristopher Wilson - University of TasmaniaRobert Bourman - University of WollongongAmy Roberts - Flinders UniversityIan Moffat - Flinders UniversityGraziela Miot da Silva - Flinders UniversitySergio Dillenburg - Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do SulToru Tamura - The University of TokyoMark Reilly - University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, School of Law and SocietyNgarrindgeri Aboriginal Corporation (Author)
- Publication details
- The Journal of Island and Coastal Archaeology , Vol.20(3), pp.563-587
- Publisher
- Taylor & Francis Inc.
- Date published
- 2025
- DOI
- 10.1080/15564894.2024.2337096
- ISSN
- 1556-1828; 1556-4894
- Copyright note
- © 2024 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group. This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/), which permits non-commercial re-use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited, and is not altered, transformed, or built upon in any way. The terms on which this article has been published allow the posting of the Accepted Manuscript in a repository by the author(s) or with their consent.
- Grants
- Organisation Unit
- Indigenous and Transcultural Research Centre; Australian Centre for Pacific Islands Research; School of Law and Society; Sustainability Research Cluster
- Language
- English
- Record Identifier
- 991028698902621
- Output Type
- Journal article
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- Archaeology
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