Wave action impact on archaeological sites in a freshwater reservoir: The case of Lake Hume, New South Wales

Abstract

Wave action has an impact on archaeological sites found on the bottomlands of freshwater reservoirs. A case study was carried out at the historic township of Old Bowna, normally contained within Lake Hume on the New South Wales and Victorian border. While both European and Aboriginal sites have been identified, particular attention is paid to the Aboriginal sites due to their micro-location within the reservoir.The article details the types of waves that can be found in inland reservoirs, and their specific impacts on archaeological sites on the bottomlands. Additional environmental factors impacting sites are also addressed, such as water-level fluctuation, location of sites within the reservoir, the (re-)fill rate of the dam, the angle of the basin slope and stability of sites according to the presence of vegetation. The paper concludes with a discussion of conservation tools for such environments, together with the moral and legal obligations of heritage managers and conservationists.