About time: toward a sequencing of the Dampier Archipelago petroglyphs of the Pilbara region, Western Australia

Abstract

Since the early 1970s the petroglyphs of the Dampier Archipelago have been acknowledged for their National and World heritage status. Part of this recognition of signifi cance is the evident antiquity, stylistic variability and abundance of production that the petroglyphs display. It has been suggested that the oldest of these images are in the order of 15,000 to 18,000 years old. Based on only a few dates, coupled with stylistic and weathering patterns, a three-phase art sequence was fi rst put forward in the early 1980s. These identifi ed art phases were defi ned on information collected from just two locations toward the southern end of Dampier Island. This paper presents a more comprehensive temporal structure to the Dampier rock art. Unlike previous studies, which focussed on a restricted survey area, this current study draws on knowledge of a larger and more widely distributed sample of the rock art. The results suggest at least fi ve major art phases spanning some 20 to 30,000 years.