Abstract
Aboriginal people across Australia have long used fire as a means of land management. However, archaeological evidence of this and other land management practices is difficult to identify. Using zooarchaeological evidence from three caves in the Northern Swan Coastal Plain, southwestern Australia, this thesis explores landscape-scale Holocene environmental change and its relationship with Aboriginal subsistence. Changes in Aboriginal diet and environment are associated with increasing abundances of animal species that benefit from mosaic habitats. Given late Holocene climates were stable, marked changes in habitat c.1000 years ago are interpreted as resulting from the increased use of fire for land management.
Original language | English |
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Qualification | Doctor of Philosophy |
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Award date | 31 May 2018 |
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Publication status | Unpublished - 2018 |