SEMINAR: Archaeology Seminar Series - Phillip Point Stone Arrangement, Burrup Peninsula

The archaeology of the Burrup Peninsula is best known from its rock art. However, the area is also distinctive in the occurrence of a wide range of site types, many of which are associated as site complexes. Surface artefact scatters on the Burrup, which have received little attention in the past, are primarily manufactured from granophyre – a local and common raw material. In this presentation we discuss a preliminary analysis of the assemblages associated with the Phillip Point Stone Arrangement. This unusual complex stone arrangement is associated with several discrete flaking floors. A radiocarbon determination of about 400 BP came from charcoal associated with a circle of stones near the major feature at the site.

The site complex provides an opportunity to study flaked stone assemblages from what can arguably be interpreted as a ceremonial site and compare them with assemblages from sites showing evidence of a broader range of functions. Since one function of the activities at ceremonial sites in the Pilbara is to transmit cultural knowledge, we also explore whether the discrete flaking floors could represent the work of novice knappers. This paper is part of a larger study of Burrup flaked stone assemblages which will assess whether assemblages associated with secular and non-secular contexts can be differentiated from one another.