Tools on the surface: residue and use-wear analyses of stone artefacts from Camooweal, northwest Queensland

Abstract

Although much of the Australian archaeological record lies on the surface, such assemblages are often seen as having reduced archaeological potential when compared with subsurface deposits. However, a microscopic residue and use-wear analysis of surface-collected Aboriginal stone tulas from Camooweal, Queensland, revealed use-related residues including blood, bone collagen, woody plant tissue and resin, along with use-wear indicative of adzing and scraping functions. The results suggest the tulas were employed primarily for butchery, bone-working and woodworking tasks and were hafted in various orientations to the handle. Residues and use-wear were also detected on blades, hand axes, points, and cores from the same site, demonstrating that a large range of residues survive on artefacts from both surface and subsurface sites, enabling the reconstruction of details of subsistence and tool use.