NGAUT NGAUT (DEVON DOWNS) PETROGLYPHS RECONSIDERED

IntroductionReinvestigation of the petroglyphs at Ngaut Ngaut began as a result of a broader interpretive project for this significant heritage complex which aimed to present the range of cultural values attached to it rather than simply recount the more familiar colonial archaeological story associated with this place (see Roberts and Campbell 2012; Roberts and MACAI 2012; Roberts et al. 2010). Whilst compiling a brief interpretive section about the petroglyphs it became apparent that there had been limited detailed reconsiderations about the typology/chronology of the rock art. As a result Roberts, Franklin and Campbell together with the Mannum Aboriginal Community Association Inc. (hereafter MACAI) began considering these issues in more detail, hi particular, a review of the original evidence collected by early researchers was undertaken and additional observations were made by re-examining the current rock face. These observations were primarily made during rock art field schools conducted collaboratively with community members and staff from Flinders University (see Harris 2011).Whilst many non-Aboriginal people know of Ngaut Ngaut by its English name, Devon Downs, the Aboriginal community have and always will refer to this place by its traditional name. Even though the Aboriginal community have continued to use traditional names for places on their country, they also wish to see these names reinstated in the broader literature. In this paper we privilege these traditional toponyms (after Roberts and MACAI 2012).BackgroundNgaut Ngaut is located between the towns Nildottie and Mannum on the Murray River in South Australia (Fig. 1). The rocksheiter and adjacent cliff faces that contain the petroglyphs, and which are the primary focus of this article, are part of a larger heritage complex that is protected by virtue of its conservation park status and co-management agreement (see Department for Environment and Heritage 2008). All petroglyphs at the site are engraved into limestone.The co-management agreement is between MACAI and the State of South Australia (under the National Parks and Wildlife Act 1972 - see Department for Environment and Heritage 2008). The late Richard Hunter, former chairperson of MACAI (Fig. 2), was instrumental in negotiating the co-management agreement (see Roberts et al. 2010). He started cultural tours at Ngaut Ngaut in the late 1980s. Under Richard's leadership MACAI constructed fences, boardwalks and other infrastructure to facilitate safe visitor access (and prevent further damage to the area) and the park has become a popular tourist destination (Department for Environment and Heritage 2008), with interpretive tours of tire site conducted by the community. This tourism venture, like others operated by Indigenous groups around the world (see Mortensen and Nicholas 2010), has become an opportunity for economic development for the community. The aforementioned interpretive project was undertaken to support tire community's work in this regard.Ngaut Ngaut is primarily known in the archaeological literature as the first stratified rocksheiter deposit to be scientifically excavated in Australia (see Hemming et al. 1989: 6; Holdaway and Stem 2004:287; Horton 1991:153; Mulvaney and Kamminga 1999:11; Smith 1982:109). Although, as noted above, the site has a much deeper level of significance for the Aboriginal community and a range of other cultural values are attached to this place (see Roberts and Campbell 2012; Roberts and MACAI 2012; Roberts et al. 2010).Herbert Hale and Norman Tindale began their archaeological investigations at Ngaut Ngaut in 1929 (Hemming et al. 1989) (Fig. 3). It was at this site that they demonstrated the potential of careful, layer-by-layer excavations using equipment still employed by archaeologists today such as trowels, brushes and sieves (Hale and Tindale 1930: 175). Prior to Hale and Tindale's work little systematic research had been conducted in the field of Australian archaeology. …