Aboriginal Stone Artefacts and Arrangements

Stone artefact scatters 
Being highly durable, stone artefact scatters are commonly encountered in the ACT region. Stone artefacts are at times found in association with other material such as the remains of campfires (evidenced by concentrations of charcoal, burnt rocks and burnt clay). Stone artefact scatters may range from isolated artefacts to extensive, high-density scatters covering several hectares with hundreds of artefacts. They may from the result of a single intensive occupation event, or be built up over hundreds or thousands of years from repeated visits or occupation to a particular area.

Quarry/stone source
An Aboriginal quarry is a site where Aboriginal people extracted raw materials for making stone artefacts, and may also include ochre quarries. There may be evidence of extraction in the form of artificial cleavage from outcrops, excavated holes and/or stone artefacts. The rock types most suited to stone artefact manufacture include silcretes, quartz, chert and fine-grained volcanics. Ochre sources are highly valued for their contribution of pigment for personal decoration and use in rock art painting. Red, white and black (black - used charred seed stalks of grass tree) were sourced locally in the ACT region.

Ceremonial sites/stone arrangements
Some Aboriginal sacred places were used for initiations, other important rituals, and as meeting places. Some ceremonial sites have a deliberate placement of rocks and stones, in circles or long straight lines. Ceremonial sites may also be associated with stone artefacts and/or earthworks, such as the removal of surface pebbles. It is also possible for ceremonial sites to occur with no visible alteration of the landscape. There are not many registered ceremonial sites in the ACT, and those that have been recorded, usually occur in the high country of Namadgi National Park. 

Please respect Aboriginal sacred places and heritage sites. It is an offence to damage, disturb or destroy Aboriginal heritage places and objects. 

Further Information

• Scar Trees
• Plant Use
• Grinding Grooves 
• Rock Shelters
• Rock Art
• The Bogong Moth Story
• Aboriginal Cultural Landscape, Sites and Artefacts
• Aboriginal Connections to Country