Kow Swamp Archaeological Site
Encyclopedia
The Kow Swamp archaeological site comprises a series of late Pleistocene burials within the lunette
of the eastern rim of a former lake known as Kow Swamp
. The site is located 10 km south-east of Cohuna in the central Murray Valley
, in northern Victoria, at 35.953553°N 144.318123°W. The site is significant for Archaeological excavations by Alan Thorne between 1968 and 1972 which recovered the partial skeletal remains of more than 22 individuals.
Optically stimulated luminesence (OSL) dating was undetaken of some of the Kow Swamp burials in 2003, (particularly KS 9, the only burial excavated in situ), which suggested that the cemetery was in use between 22 and 19 ka, rather than 15 - 9 ka. However, these dates have been questioned due to the difficulty of ensuring the dated sand is contemporary with the actual burials, while AMS dates on bone collagen from related sites in the region such as Nacurrie and Coobool Creek, support the 13 - 9 ka date range for Kow Swamp.
However, Donald Brothwell disputed this interpretation suggesting the vault size and shape at Kow Swamp had been influenced by artificial Artificial cranial deformation
, particularly in Kow Swamp 5..
The varying morphological and metrical comparisons of the burials have distinguished them from modern Aboriginal crania and also a more gracile group of Pleistocene remains found at Lake Mungo
and Keilor
.. These differences have been used to postulate separate arrivals of distinct groups of people. However, more recent comparison do not support Thorne's dual Pleistocene population model.
and other institutions. Despite extensive reconstruction, the Kow Swamp material was extremely fragmentary, with only two of the crania, KS1 and 5, being relatively complete.
Lunette
In architecture, a lunette is a half-moon shaped space, either filled with recessed masonry or void. A lunette is formed when a horizontal cornice transects a round-headed arch at the level of the imposts, where the arch springs. If a door is set within a round-headed arch, the space within the...
of the eastern rim of a former lake known as Kow Swamp
Gunbower, Victoria
Gunbower is a town in northern Victoria, Australia. The town is located in the Shire of Campaspe, north of the state capital, Melbourne on the banks of Gunbower Creek...
. The site is located 10 km south-east of Cohuna in the central Murray Valley
Murray valley
Murray valley may refer to:* the Murray River valley* the electoral district of Murray ValleySee also Murray Valley Highway....
, in northern Victoria, at 35.953553°N 144.318123°W. The site is significant for Archaeological excavations by Alan Thorne between 1968 and 1972 which recovered the partial skeletal remains of more than 22 individuals.
Locality
The name of Kow Swamp is derived from the Aboriginal word in the Yorta Yorta language, (Ghow), meaning white gypsum soil which is found in the area. Kow Swamp is now a permanent water body, (due to its use as an irrigation storage), 15 kilometres in circumference with an average depth of 3 metres. Originally a low lying swamp it was filled when the Murray River was in flood or running at high levels, while Bendigo creek provided a smaller amount of water.Discovery
There is evidence of recent Aboriginal occupation of the area from canoe trees and middens, while early settlers' records describe an Aboriginal ceremonial site on the north side of the swamp. The most notable evidence was the discovery in 1925, on the west side of the swamp, of the Cohuna Cranium by a local earthmoving contractor. The editor of the local newspaper Cohuna Farmers Weekly notified authorities and the significance of the discovery was realised. In the 1960s, Alan Thorne also identified archaic bone from the collection at the Museum of Victoria, and traced the find spot to Kow Swamp. Archaeological excavations were undertaken between 1968 and 1972 by Thorne for the Australian National University in Canberra. Further remains were found around the swamp by an interested local resident, Gordon Spark. By 1972 the remains of at least forty individuals had been excavated and studied. These discoveries helped establish the diversity of Aboriginal genetic history and have been interpreted as representing different waves of immigrants to Australia before European discovery.Dating
Radiocarbon dates established a wide date range for the burials, with 13,000 ± 280 (ANU1236) from shell in the grave of KS5 and 10,070 ± 250 (ANU-403b), from bone apatite from KS10 respectively. The youngest date was approximately 6500 BP for KS1).Optically stimulated luminesence (OSL) dating was undetaken of some of the Kow Swamp burials in 2003, (particularly KS 9, the only burial excavated in situ), which suggested that the cemetery was in use between 22 and 19 ka, rather than 15 - 9 ka. However, these dates have been questioned due to the difficulty of ensuring the dated sand is contemporary with the actual burials, while AMS dates on bone collagen from related sites in the region such as Nacurrie and Coobool Creek, support the 13 - 9 ka date range for Kow Swamp.
Description of remains
The initial descriptions of the crania from Kow Swamp identified "receding frontal squama, massive supraorbital regions and a supraglabella fossae..." which were considered to be "preserving an almost unmodified eastern erectus form" displaying a "..complex of archaic characteristics not seen in recent Aboriginal crania...". The features were considered to indicate "the survival of Homo erectus features in Australia until as recently as 10,000 years ago".However, Donald Brothwell disputed this interpretation suggesting the vault size and shape at Kow Swamp had been influenced by artificial Artificial cranial deformation
Artificial cranial deformation
Artificial cranial deformation, head flattening, or head binding is a form of permanent body alteration in which the skull of a human being is intentionally deformed. It is done by distorting the normal growth of a child's skull by applying force...
, particularly in Kow Swamp 5..
The varying morphological and metrical comparisons of the burials have distinguished them from modern Aboriginal crania and also a more gracile group of Pleistocene remains found at Lake Mungo
Lake Mungo
Lake Mungo is a dry lake in south-western New South Wales, Australia. It is located about 760 km due west of Sydney and 90 km north-east of Mildura. The lake is the central feature of Mungo National Park, and is one of seventeen lakes in the World Heritage listed Willandra Lakes Region...
and Keilor
Keilor archaeological site
The Keilor archaeological site was among the first places to demonstrate the antiquity of Aboriginal occupation of Australia when a cranium, unearthed in 1940, was found to be nearly 15,000 years old. Subsequent investigations of Pleistocene alluvial terraces revealed hearths about 31,000 years BP,...
.. These differences have been used to postulate separate arrivals of distinct groups of people. However, more recent comparison do not support Thorne's dual Pleistocene population model.
Repatriation
Following a campaign by Aboriginal community groups to have human remains repatriated from Australian and overseas museum collections, the Kow Swamp skeletons were returned to the area an re-interred. Casts of some of the Kow Swamp crania and mandibles are held by the Archaeology and Human Sciences department at the Australian National University, with some casts (including casts of KS1 and 5) being sent to the London Natural History MuseumNatural History Museum
The Natural History Museum is one of three large museums on Exhibition Road, South Kensington, London, England . Its main frontage is on Cromwell Road...
and other institutions. Despite extensive reconstruction, the Kow Swamp material was extremely fragmentary, with only two of the crania, KS1 and 5, being relatively complete.