Red Earth and Bones: the History of Cave Sediment Studies in New South Wales, Australia

Abstract

Red earth and bones are an enduring theme in the history of cave sediment studies in New South Wales. Scientific studies of cave sediments began with the discovery of fossil bones in red cave earth at Wellington Caves in the 1830's. Three distinct phases in the study of cave sediments in New South Wales can be recognised. In the first. Classical, phase, from 1830 to 1900, leading naturalists and geologists visited caves and reported the presence of sediments. Red earth was sought as an indicator of vertebrate fossils, however, neither the sediment itself, nor its stratigraphy was studied to any extent. In the second, Low Activity, phase, from 1900 till 1966, there was little scientific interest in cave sediments. Some work was done on phosphorites, and mention was made of both palaeokarst and possible correlation of sequences between different cave areas. The third, Modern, phase began in 1966 with the work of R. M. Frank, who for the first time examined both the composition and stratigraphy of cave sediments in New South Wales. Following Frank, cave sediment studies became specialised with a variety of sedimentological, chemical and stratigraphic approaches being taken.

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