Phytolith Analysis Applied to Pleistocene-Holocene Archaeological Sites in the Australian Arid Zone

Description

To explore the potential for phytolith analysis in Australian arid zone sediments silica phytoliths (plant microfossils) were isolated from archaeological sediments collected at three arid zone sites. Line drawings of phytoliths extracted from archaeological deposits and contemporary plant material provided a reference point for purposes of classification, analysis and quantification. Various changes in these phytoliths were observed from the earliest occupation through to the Holocene, which correlate with changes in lithic artefacts. In particular, the appearance of grass seed grinders was recorded in the cultural assemblage after the introduction of new grass taxa. The timing of the change has some correlation with the final inundation of the land barrier to the north and sea level stabilisation. Other analyses suggest a continuous reduction in precipitation. These positive results indicate that phytolith analysis has great potential in arid areas, providing a window into vegetation history and contributing data to an archaeological site history.