The first archaeological evidence for death by spearing in Australia

Josephine J. McDonald; Denise Donlon; Judith H. Field; Richard L.K. Fullagar; Joan Brenner Coltrain; Peter Mitchell; Mark Rawson

doi:10.1017/S0003598X00095971

The first archaeological evidence for death by spearing in Australia

Josephine J. McDonald^*, Denise Donlon, Judith H. Field, Richard L.K. Fullagar, Joan Brenner Coltrain, Peter Mitchell, Mark Rawson

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

56 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

An Aboriginal man done to death on the dunes 4000 years ago was recently discovered during excavations beneath a bus shelter in Barrabeen on Sydney's northern beaches. The presence of backed microliths and the evidence for trauma in the bones showed that he had been killed with stone-tipped spears. Now we know how these backed points were used. A punishment ritual is implied by analogies with contact-period observations made in the eighteenth century AD.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	877-885
Number of pages	9
Journal	Antiquity
Volume	81
Issue number	314
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1017/S0003598X00095971
Publication status	Published - Dec 2007

Access to Document

10.1017/S0003598X00095971

Cite this

@article{7ae2e9be099f4af69bdcfaa65137694a,

title = "The first archaeological evidence for death by spearing in Australia",

abstract = "An Aboriginal man done to death on the dunes 4000 years ago was recently discovered during excavations beneath a bus shelter in Barrabeen on Sydney's northern beaches. The presence of backed microliths and the evidence for trauma in the bones showed that he had been killed with stone-tipped spears. Now we know how these backed points were used. A punishment ritual is implied by analogies with contact-period observations made in the eighteenth century AD.",

keywords = "Aborigine, Australia, Microliths, Ritual punishment, Spears, Sydney",

author = "McDonald, {Josephine J.} and Denise Donlon and Field, {Judith H.} and Fullagar, {Richard L.K.} and Coltrain, {Joan Brenner} and Peter Mitchell and Mark Rawson",

year = "2007",

month = dec,

doi = "10.1017/S0003598X00095971",

language = "English",

volume = "81",

pages = "877--885",

journal = "Antiquity",

issn = "0003-598X",

publisher = "Cambridge University Press",

number = "314",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - The first archaeological evidence for death by spearing in Australia

AU - McDonald, Josephine J.

AU - Donlon, Denise

AU - Field, Judith H.

AU - Fullagar, Richard L.K.

AU - Coltrain, Joan Brenner

AU - Mitchell, Peter

AU - Rawson, Mark

PY - 2007/12

Y1 - 2007/12

N2 - An Aboriginal man done to death on the dunes 4000 years ago was recently discovered during excavations beneath a bus shelter in Barrabeen on Sydney's northern beaches. The presence of backed microliths and the evidence for trauma in the bones showed that he had been killed with stone-tipped spears. Now we know how these backed points were used. A punishment ritual is implied by analogies with contact-period observations made in the eighteenth century AD.

AB - An Aboriginal man done to death on the dunes 4000 years ago was recently discovered during excavations beneath a bus shelter in Barrabeen on Sydney's northern beaches. The presence of backed microliths and the evidence for trauma in the bones showed that he had been killed with stone-tipped spears. Now we know how these backed points were used. A punishment ritual is implied by analogies with contact-period observations made in the eighteenth century AD.

KW - Aborigine

KW - Australia

KW - Microliths

KW - Ritual punishment

KW - Spears

KW - Sydney

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=37449007273&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1017/S0003598X00095971

DO - 10.1017/S0003598X00095971

M3 - Article

SN - 0003-598X

VL - 81

SP - 877

EP - 885

JO - Antiquity

JF - Antiquity

IS - 314

ER -

The first archaeological evidence for death by spearing in Australia

Abstract

Access to Document

Other files and links

Fingerprint

Cite this