100 
A.W.R. Bevan, P. Bindon 
of the phenomena is entirely consistent with that to 
be expected to accompany a crater-forming impact. 
Moreover, the legend is reportedly an ancient one 
handed down through many generations (Jones 
1989). The location of the event remains a mystery, 
and the possibility that the Paakantji are describing 
the Henbury occurrence cannot be discounted. 
In modern times, when Aborigines were 
introduced to metal in functional shapes like barrel 
hoops, or discarded horse shoes and the like, they 
were quick to adapt this new material to their 
needs (Akerman and Bindon 1984). Traditionally 
shaped spearheads, axes and other tools once 
made in stone were made from pieces of metal 
obtained from Europeans. Fragments of meteoritic 
iron, although recognisable as metal, are not 
generally evocative of tool shapes. Moreover 
traditional Aboriginal methods of working stone 
by flaking and grinding, are not applicable to 
chunks of iron. Although there is some evidence 
for Aboriginal selection of meteoritic iron objects 
as things being out of the ordinary, and that they 
may have been transported from their original 
place of fall to other locations, no substantial 
evidence exists of experimental working of iron 
meteorites by Aborigines during prehistory. 
In the Nullarbor where meteorites are easily 
found (notably the Mundrabilla iron meteorite), 
grinding was the method used by Aborigines to 
process grass seeds into a gruel or damper. 
Although some edge-ground axes do occur here, 
most of the country rock is sedimentary or is 
buried at such depth beneath sand that it is 
generally unavailable to Aborigines. Many of the 
larger (1cm +) artefacts to be found in the 
Nullarbor are made from igneous rocks 
transported from other areas, notably the Giles 
Complex to the north, or tektites. Consequently, 
there was no great tradition of edge-grinding in 
the region. Apart from tire amount of work likely 
to be involved with grinding or beating a chunk of 
meteoritic iron to the shape of an axe, there is little 
evidence of a tradition that would lead to this kind 
of labour intensive modification of a resource. 
However, the deficit in the number of different 
iron meteorites recovered from the Nullarbor may 
be due to human activity. 
Notwithstanding, we urge archaeologists and 
anthropologists throughout Australia to re¬ 
examine the extensive collections of Aboriginal 
artefacts that exist for the possibility that they may 
contain rare implements and other objects made 
from stony meteorites. 
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 
We are indebted to David Hugo of the Strehlow 
Research Centre in Alice Springs for providing 
information on the unpublished English translation 
of Strehlow's work, "Die Aranda - und Loritja- 
Stamme, Zentral Australien", and to Pat 
Vinnicombe for providing some material. Thanks 
are also due to Mance Lofgren and Vagn Buchwald 
for their helpful reviews and to Danielle Hendricks 
for drafting the figure. 
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