Indigenous Archaeological Sites and the Black Swamp Fossil Bed: Rocky River Precinct, Flinders Chase National Park, Kangaroo Island, South Australia

Abstract

Rocky River in the Flinders Chase National Park, Kangaroo Island was first noted in 1908 by C.J. May, then caretaker of the Rocky River Reserve (Tindale et al. 1935). Formal palaeontological investigation of the fossil area was initiated during a visit to the former Flinders Chase Flora and Fauna Reserve by Norman Tindale in late 1934 (Tindale et al. 1935; Tindale 1937a, 1937b). Further interest was not rekindled until the late 1970's (Hope et al. 1977). Since 1995 however, palaeontological investigations have been intensely focused on the Black Swamp fossil site (Wells et al.1997; Thammakhantry 1998; Dalgairns 1999).