Global patterns & local contexts: an archaeological investigation of late nineteenth-to early twentieth-century gold mining settlements in the Upper Murchison, Western Australia

The gold rush/mining era of the nineteenth- and early twentieth-century was an event unprecedented in scale, and had global repercussions. For this reason, the concept of a global, or international 'mining culture' (e.g. see Lawrence Cheney 1995: 9, 46), was identified as potentially being a useful analytical tool when studying gold rush era sites due to the similar demographic, political and social conditions in gold mining communities, and their potential to be manifest in the archaeological record. This thesis evaluates that hypothesis by analysing, within its local, national, and global perspective, data collected from three archaeological sites in the Upper Murchison region of Western Australia. Findings suggest that, although a global perspective in archaeological analyses is important, when the local context and its impact on the archaeological record is taken into account, the interpretation of sites in terms of overarching global patterns becomes less tenable. It is undeniable that gold rush/mining era sites have comparable facets and general patterns. However, when these sites are approached from an agencycentred perspective that privileges the local rather than the global context, the complexities inherent in social relations, demography, and political and ideological conditions are more likely to be revealed.