Prickly Bush, a site with backed blades on the Brisbane River: a pilot study towards the measurement of site "disturbance"

Abstract

In August, 1976, while conducting a search along the Brisbane River Banks for scarred trees, one of the writers (WL) discovered stone artefacts scattered on a pathway at the edge of the river about 2km from the Queensland University campus. Further examination of the area revealed the presence of a number of backed stone artefacts among an assemblage of flakes and cores. After enlisting the aid of the Prehistory section of The University of Queensland application was made to the Aboriginal Relics Advisory Committee for permission to make a collection of this assemblage. This paper reports the basic findings of that work and initiates an inquiry into the problem of how to estimate the degree of disturbance, especially trampling, a site has received by examining stone artefacts.