Case Study: Little Bay Shell Midden
The Little Bay shell midden is one of the largest Aboriginal middens in the Sydney region and is within the former Prince Henry Hospital site near La Perouse. It is in an area frequented by the public and affected by beach erosion.
In recent years the midden has been eroding from the foredune onto Little Bay beach. A comprehensive understanding of the midden was critical to its conservation, management and interpretation.
With the help of Aboriginal stakeholders and the NSW Department of Environment, Climate Change and Water, GML developed a minimal-impact method to archaeologically investigate the site. This allowed us to collect crucial data without unnecessarily impacting on subsurface deposits.
The test excavation included subsurface augering to identify the locations, depth and integrity of cultural deposits; hand-sieving to recover cultural material; geomorphological assessment; and specialist analysis of the recovered faunal assemblage. The results were presented in a report to the NSW Department of Planning.
The project has informed a long-term approach to conserving the Little Bay shell midden. Works in the area will help people visit the beach while conserving this very significant site and its heritage values into the future.
Location: Little Bay, NSW
Client: Landcom
Project Type: Aboriginal Archaeology