The Archaeology of the New Peoples

Abstract

In the sweep of time during which humans have interacted with the Australian landscape, the span of European engagement is minuscule. Nevertheless, during the last two centuries the impact of the new arrivals has radically transformed the visible pace of this landscape. The process of colonizing settlement and the accompanying changes in land use have left physical traces that can expand our understanding of past events.The archaeology of European settlement in Australia is referred was 'historical archaeology', a term indicative of the collaborative relationship between historical and archaeological methods and resources. While history studies the human past mainly through written texts, archaeology examines the material evidence left by structures, sites, features, artefacts and other deposits. These material remains are distributed across the landscape, forming through time patterns of relationships and overlays that can be surveyed, recorded and mapped. The physical evidence of archaeological information provides a perspective on the past different from that contained in historical records. It serves to complement and illustrate true such sources, and to expose gaps and inaccuracies. Archaeological finds can speak to us with peculiar directness, providing as they do a physical link with past people, their activities and daily lives.