Names
Roonka Archaeology
Roonka Flat
Roonka
IDs
SAMA 33
Offline Only
Descriptions
The Roonka site was excavated by former SA Museum staff member, Graeme Pretty from 1969 to 1984. This extensive open site excavation began at Roonka Flat on the Murray River, Lower Murray Valley region, South Australia. Excavation focused on a series of low, deflated sand dunes. A significant amount of stone tools, animal bones, shellfish and other organics were retrieved through excavation. Roonka is best known as a burial site and approximately 200 individuals were retrieved from the main excavation trenches. Occupation and burial cluster between 4,000 to 7,000 years ago, but the oldest burial is associated with an OSL date of 20,000BP. The site was occupied into post contact times, as witnessed by the presence of pearl buttons and a clay pipe with one burial.
Prior to 1969 numerous salvages were made by SAM staff of surface material as it eroded from the dune.
'Roonka; fugitive traces and climatic mischief' (2009) edited by Keryn Walshe. Current doctoral investigation of human remains by Rebekah Candy, University of Adelaide, South Australia.
Subjects
Aboriginal art; Aboriginal peoples; Artefacts; Burial sites; Burials; Death; Excavations (Archaeology); Tools
Aboriginal artefacts; Aboriginal culture; Aboriginal peoples (Australians); Burial grounds; Stone tools
Animal bones; Archaeological excavation; Archaeology; Burial site; Clay pipe; Excavation Assemblage; Grave goods; Mortuary practices; Organics; Pearl buttons; Post contact; Roonka Dune; Roonka Flat; Shellfish; Stone tools
Animal bones; Stone tools
Graeme Pretty
Coverage Spatial
Roonka Dune; Roonka Flat, Murray River, Lower Murray Valley, South Australia
Coverage Temporal
20000 BP
4,000 BP
Related Collections
Dates
2012-05-30 23:41
2011-03-18 22:57