Atypicalsurfacescatterfoundwhenanolderlandsurfacehasbeenexposed

WhatareAboriginalSurface Scatters?

SurfaceartefactscattersarethematerialremainsofpastAboriginalpeople’sactivities.Scattersitesusuallycontainstoneartefacts,butothermaterialsuchascharcoal,animalbone,shellandochremayalsobepresent.Notwosurfacescattersareexactlythesame.

WhereareTheyFound?SurfacescatterscanbefoundwhereverAboriginaloccupationhas

occurredinthepast.

Aboriginalcampsitesweremostfrequentlylocatednearareliablesourceoffreshwater,sosurfacescattersareoftenfoundnearriversorstreamswhereerosionordisturbancehasexposedanolderlandsurface.

WhattodoifYouFindanAboriginalSurfaceScatter?

Donotdisturbtheplaceorremoveanymaterial.CheckwhethertheplacehasthecharacteristicsofanAboriginalsurfacescatter.Ifitdoes,recorditslocationandwriteabriefdescriptionofitscondition.Notewhetheritisunderthreatofdisturbance.

PleasehelptopreserveAboriginalculturalplacesbyreportingtheirpresencetothe Office of Aboriginal Affairs Victoria

Contact:

TheHeritageRegistrar

Office of AboriginalAffairsVictoriaPOBox2392

MelbourneVIC3001

Telephone:1800762003

What ProducedSurface Scatters?

SurfacescattersaretheremainsofpastAboriginalcampsitesandotheractivities.Aboriginalpeopleproducedandleftthescattermaterialinthecourseoftheirdaily

life.Activitiesthatproducedsurfacescattersinclude:

•manufactureofstoneimplementsforarangeofeverydaytasks;

•productionandmaintenanceofweapons,toolsandotheritemsmadeofwoodandbone;

•constructionofsheltersandhuts;

•preparationandconsumptionofmeals;

•preparationofclothesandblanketsfromanimalskins;

•socialandspiritualactivities.

Awayfromthecamp,activitiesthatproducedsurfacescattersinclude:

•woodchoppingandtheremovalofbarkfromtrees;

•preparationoflargeitemssuchascanoes;

•huntingandgameprocessing;

•gatheringandprocessingfruitandvegetables.

Scattersmaybetheremainsfromanumberofactivitiesinacamp,orfromjustoneactivityawayfromthemaincampsite.

Largesurfacescatterswithmanytypesofartefactsindicatefavouredcampingareas.Thesewereoftenresource-richareassuchasswamps,lakesorriverineenvironments.

Aboriginalpeoplereturnedtotheselocationsrepeatedly,stayedforlongerperiods,andundertookawiderrangeofactivities.Alargescattermayhavemanythousandsof artefactsandcovermorethanahectare.Therepeateduseofanareamayhaveleftadensedepositthatismanylayersthick,orahugescatterconsistingofartefactsfrommanyoverlappingoccupations.

Smallerplacesgenerallyresulted fromsingle,shortoccupationssuchasovernightcampsanddinnercamps.Someconsistofdebrisat

anactivityareaawayfromthemaincamp.Smallscattersmaycoveronlyafewsquaremetres,consistofonlyonelayerandcompriseonlyafewartefacts.Theycanbefoundanywhere,whereaslargerscattersarerarerinresource-poorareassuchascoastalplains,highlandsanddeserts.

What Other Factors ProduceSurface Scatters?

Scattersofnaturallyoccurringgravel,particularlyquartz,maybemistakenforAboriginalsurfacescatters.

Gravelusuallyhasroundededgesandoriginatesintheimmediatearea.Importedgravel,particularlyfromroadworkorbuildingconstruction,canalsobemistakenforsurfacescatters.Importedgravelhassharpedgesandanarrowsizerange,anditisusuallyfoundaroundearthworks.

WhyareAboriginalSurfaceScattersImportant?

SurfacescattersofartefactsareoneofthemostcommontypesofAboriginalplaces.TheyprovideimportantinformationaboutpastAboriginalpeople’ssettlementpatternsandlifestyles.

Someorganicmaterials(suchascharcoal,boneandshell)foundinscatterscanbedatedbyradiocarbondating.Thesedatestelluswhenpeoplewerelivinginaparticulararea.Artefactsinthesurfacescatterscanshowhow Aboriginalculturechangedovertime.Thepresenceofstonefromotherareascanindicatetrade,exchangeandcontactbetweendifferentgroupsthatlivedmanykilometresapart.

SurfacescattersareanimportantlinkforAboriginalpeopletodaywiththeircultureandpast.

AreAboriginalSurfaceScattersunderThreat?

Aboriginalsurfacescatterscanbedisturbedordestroyedbypeopleornaturalprocessessuchaswindandwater.Weatheringanderosioncandamageordisperseartefacts,

StoneArtefactslikethesearecommonlyfoundinVictoriansurfacescatters

ascantramplingbyhard-hoofedanimalsandrabbitburrowing.

Humanactivitiessuchasmining,roadbuilding,damming,clearingandconstructioncandisturbanddestroyartefactsites.

The Office of AboriginalAffairsVictoriarecordsthelocation,dimensionsandconditionofAboriginalscatters.Theaimis

tohaveapermanentphotographicandwrittenrecordofthisimportantpartoftheheritageofallAustralians.ManagementworksaroundAboriginalsurfacescatters,suchastheeradicationofrabbitsanderosioncontrol,helppreservetheplacesforfuturegenerations.

AreAboriginalSurfaceScattersProtected?

AllAboriginalculturalplacesinVictoriaareprotectedbylaw.Aboriginalartefactsarealsoprotected.

ItisillegaltodisturbordestroyanAboriginalplace.Artefactsshouldnotberemovedfromsite.

June2008

CopyrightStateGovernmentofVictoria2008.AuthorisedbytheVictoriaGovernment,Melbourne

ISBN978-1-921331-57-2

ThispublicationmaybeofassistancetoyoubuttheStateofVictoriaanditsemployeesdonotguaranteethatthepublicationiswithoutflawofanykindoriswhollyappropriateforyourparticularpurposesandthereforedisclaimsallliabilityforanyerror,lossorotherconsequencewhichmayarisefromyourelyingonanyinformationinthispublication.