Kurtonitj stone house: Excavation of a mid‐nineteenth century Aboriginal frontier site from Gunditjmara country, south‐west Victoria

A groundbreaking excavation at the Budj Bim Cultural Landscape in south-west Victoria reveals new insights into Aboriginal stone house construction and occupation during the mid-19th century. The study, published in Archaeology in Oceania, documents the first detailed excavation of such a site, uncovering a cache of 34 iron nails dating to approximately 1840–1870, which suggests occupation during periods of violent and negotiated resistance against European pastoral expansion. Taphonomic analysis indicates that stone artefacts predate contact objects, hinting at earlier use or construction. The findings challenge assumptions about the timeline of stone house development and offer clues about their integration with eel trapping facilities over 6600 years.

MCNIVEN, I. J., DUNN, J. E., CROUCH, J.,. (2017). Kurtonitj stone house: Excavation of a mid‐nineteenth century Aboriginal frontier site from Gunditjmara country, south‐west Victoria. Archaeology in Oceania, 52(3), 171–197. Portico. https://doi.org/10.1002/arco.5136