

474 Recorps oF THE S.A. Muszum 
Evidence collected suggests very strongly that the land has emerged from 
the acean by stages which were unequal, irregular in duration, and. exhibited 
intermediate periods of retrogression, the net result, however, being one of 
emergence of the land. Further investigations into this problem are proceeding. 
For the purnose of the present paper, the Investigation of the relative ages of these 
former coastal duties is essential, aa once these are established, the search for 
native remains or artefacts contemporaneous with the formation of the dunes will 
assume great importance. Time did not permit a detailed search over the large 
area involved and, although so far little has been found, some evidence of 
contemporanécous native remains and possibly of their antiquity has been collected, 
In 1944 blackened limestones containing free carbon were found embedded 
in the consolidated dune limestone of the Reedy Creek Range and of the Woak- 
wine Range, The former occur at the camp site labelled RC, 3, at the north- 
weatern corner of Furner settlement. Here, a number of fire-blackened stones 
oveur in the consolidated dune limestone and present the appearance of a scattered 
hearth like those which occur on recent camp sites. This occurrence appears to 
have been a hearth contemporaneous with the existence of the Reedy Creek Range 
a8 an unconsolidated mass of dune sand. 
The second ocenrrence is at the carp site recorded as Wk. 7, ahout two miles 
to the south-east of the ald Woakwine Station. A number of fire-blackened stones 
oceur here within a email area and embedded in the consolidated dune rock. These, 
like those in the RC. 3 site, appear to be stones belonging to a dispersed hearth. 
In 1945 @ blown-ont area near Woody Point in the Kongorong Range yielded 
a few native artefacts and also a number of fire-blackened stones. The latter were 
embedded iv the consolidated dune rock. They consist.of a number of flat pieces 
and some irregular fragmenta of blackened limestone, and, as in the other iustances, 
resamble closely the scattered hearths found on recent carap sites, 
Although so far no artefacts have been discovered embedded m the consoli- 
dated dune limestones, this does not by any means rule out their existence in these 
rock types. Not only was the search for such remains necessarily brief, but it must 
be remembered also that even in a well-established camping area artefacts are 
often. scarce except in very limited portions; and further, the concentrations by 
wind erosion and removal of the superficial sand concentrates on the bard floor 
the whole of the solid material previously distributed vertically above it, No such 
concentration can take place in the case of embedded artefacts, for orige these 
have been released from the containing rock they lose their identity and became 
part of the loose surface material, 
Another notable feature, the detailed study of which promises. to yield 
iaportant information on the relative ages of artefacts, is the varying degree and 
type of alteration that the flint of which they are made has ondergone, Although 
fresh, unaltered flakes and chippings oceur, the yast majority exhibits degrees 
of alteration depending to some extent apparently on the loeation of the camp 
gites. Thus the coastal sites and some others, such as the Lake Frome sites situated 
two miles inland, carry artefacts which in nearly all cases have a white appearance. 
This bleaching extends for some distance into the specimens. In the case of small 
thin flakes, the alteration may be complete, but im most pieces the central core 
is unaltered and exhibits the original colour of the flint, the unaltered core reflect- 
ing in its configuration the external shape given to the artefact. by its aboriginal 
manufacturer, 
The inland sites, euch as those oecurrmg on the Woakwine and Kongorong 
Ranges, the Whawbe and Long Gully Ridges, the Belt Site and others, aarry tints 
which appear to have weathered ina different manner. Those which have been 
altered exhibit various shades of yellow and brown, This colouration is chiefly 
