Minimum ages for pecked rock markings from Jinmium, north western Australia

Abstract

Abstract Sixteen accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) radiocarbon (14C) determinations for oxalate crusts overlying three pecked rock markings (cupules) at three separate localities in the Keep River area of north western Australia provide age estimates from 1430–11,000 years since the markings were last retouched. These are the first direct dates reported for rock‐art of this kind. While these determinations do not lend strong support to previous arguments for a Pleistocene cupule age they also do not refute such arguments. We maintain the age of the crusts is more closely related to climatic fluctuations rather than when cupules were produced, with crust formation directly related to the nature of local ecological conditions. We discuss implications for estimating the time‐depth of rock‐art sequences in northern Australia, and general problems with the direct dating of rock‐art.

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