Koongine Cave Excavations 1986-7: Investigating Spatial Patterning

Abstract

Initial excavations at Koongine Cave give an outline of the history of use of this limestone cave in the lower southeast of South Australia (Frankel 1986, 1988a, Izard 1988; Bird et al. in prep.). The cave, situated in a limestone ridge about four kilometres from the present coastline, was initially occupied about 10,000 years ago. Over some 1500 years up to two metres of varied sediments were deposited, rich in both artefacts and ecofacts. The site then fell out of use until the last millennium. Little or no significant change can be observed in either the early Holocene or the more recent sequences (Bird et al. in prep.; Izard 1988). The clear and fine-scale of variation in colour and texture of the sediments raised the possibility of tracing individual deposits across broad areas suitable for observing spatial patterning within the cave. This note summarises excavation strategy and initial observations on material from excavations carried out in the summer of 1986-7, set within a discussion of methodological and theoretical questions that emerge from this style of research.