Journal of the Royal Society of Western Australia, 90(3), September 2007 
Figure 1. Location of the study area (drawn by AM Rossi). 
The dimensions of all the patches that could be measured 
are listed in Table 1. The numbers in this table 
correspond with the patch numbers in Figures 2-6. 
Afghan Rock 
Afghan Rock is a small granite dome, some 80 m x 40 
m in area, that rises about 20 m above the surrounding 
plain, 500 m north of the road from Cue to Beringarra, 
about 11 km south of The Glen homestead. The dome has 
a number of large shallow pans on its crest that hold 
water after rain. According to the present lessee, the well 
(Figure 2), which is now powered by a wind pump, was 
originally dug by Afghan cameleers who camped at the 
rock in the 1880s and gave the place its modern name. 
There is an extensive scatter of Aboriginal stone artefacts 
around the dome and beside Behring Creek (Gunn & 
Webb 2003), suggesting that the Afghan well may have 
been dug into an Aboriginal soak. 
Two grinding patches were located on this dome, 
about 30 m apart (Gunn & Webb 2006): one on the 
western side and one on the northern tip (Figure 2). Both 
are on subhorizontal surfaces close to the soak, about 0.5 
m above where the bedrock emerges from the 
surrounding colluvium. Patch 2 was particularly difficult 
to see; it is poorly developed. 
Boat Flole Rock 
Boat Hole is a gnamma (rockhole) that has formed on 
the crest of a low granite outcrop, located some 13 km 
east of Tuckanarra, 500 m north of the road to Reedy 
town site. The gnamma is a pointed oval 6.0 m long, 2.3 
m wide and at least 0.5 m deep; its capacity is estimated 
at 6750 L. Gunn & Webb (2006) located seven grinding 
patches on the bedrock around the gnamma: patches 1 
Figure 2. Archaeological features recorded at Afghan Rock 
(adapted by AM Rossi from an original by RG Gunn). 
and 2 are on the edge of gnamma, 3 is nearby, while 
patches 4-7 are on the edge of the outcrop (Figure 3). 
Patches 6 and 7 could not be measured because the 
bedrock on which they formed is now broken. None of 
these patches is well-used, but all were quite easy to see. 
Camel Soak 
Camel Soak is a well-vegetated depression beside a 
large, low granite dome. It was a watering point for 
cameleers using the old road from Cue to Meekatharra. 
Figure 3. The grinding patches and gnamma recorded at Boat 
Hole Rock (adapted by AM Rossi from an original by RG Gunn). 
Patches 4 and 5 are pictured (photo: RG Gunn). 
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