For decades, the narrative surrounding Aboriginal Australian pottery has been a clear one – it didn’t exist before European arrival. A remarkable discovery on Jiigurru/Lizard Island, off the coast of Queensland, is now forcing a complete rewrite of this story.
A team led by James Cook University’s Distinguished Professor Sean Ulm, Chief Investigator for the Australian Research Council Center of Excellence for Australian Biodiversity and Heritage (CABAH), has unearthed the oldest pottery ever found in Australia during an excavation conducted in partnership with the Dingaal and Ngurrumungu Aboriginal communities.
Jiigurru holds immense cultural significance for these communities, and the two-year excavation yielded a wealth of evidence of past human presence. Among the most significant finds were dozens of pottery sherds buried less than a meter below the surface. Radiocarbon dating placed these fragments at a staggering 2,000 to 3,000 years old.
The findings, published in Quaternary Science Reviews on April 9th, challenge the long-held assumption that Aboriginal Australians lacked pottery-making knowledge prior to European contact. Professor Ulm emphasizes, “This discovery suggests a rich history of cultural exchange and technological innovation long before the British arrived.”
Analysis of the pottery revealed that it was locally produced using materials from Jiigurru itself. Interestingly, the timeframe coincides with the Lapita people of southern Papua New Guinea, renowned for their pottery production. This overlap hints at potential trade networks and cultural interactions between these communities across the Torres Strait.
“Working collaboratively with archaeologists on our country to share this story, both from our people’s perspective and from a scientific standpoint, is a significant outcome,” says Dingaal clan member and Walmbaar Aboriginal Corporation Chairperson Kenneth McLean. Ngurrumungu Elder Brian Cobus echoes this sentiment, highlighting the importance of such projects in understanding and caring for their traditional lands.
Professor Ulm elaborates on the implications, “The discovery sheds light on the sophisticated maritime capabilities of Aboriginal communities in this region. These objects offer crucial insights into the cultural exchanges that thrived on Jiigurru thousands of years ago.”
Furthermore, analysis of the pottery suggests a widespread trading network involving not just objects but also knowledge and ideas. “We believe that our ancestors were part of a vast trading system, exchanging not only goods but also technology, including the knowledge of pottery making,” explains Professor Ulm.
CABAH Chief Investigator Professor Ian McNiven from Monash University adds another layer to the story. “The evidence points to a deep history of connections across the Coral Sea, facilitated by advanced seafaring technology. This directly contradicts the outdated notion of Indigenous Australians being isolated.”
Professor McNiven concludes, “These findings not only rewrite Australian history but also challenge colonial stereotypes by highlighting the complexity and innovation of Aboriginal societies. Jiigurru stands as a testament to Australia’s role within a broader network of maritime exchange and cultural interaction across the Coral Sea for millennia.”
The discovery on Lizard Island marks a turning point in our understanding of Aboriginal Australian history. It replaces a narrative of isolation with a vibrant picture of interconnectedness, trade, and technological advancement, forcing us to rewrite the story of this ancient civilization.
Source: James Cook University