The Archaeological Significance of Buchan Caves
The limestone caves of Buchan have proved highly significant in revealing both past culture and environment in south-eastern Australia. Rich faunal deposits have been excavated by Norman Wakefield at Pyramids Cave, Josephine Flood and Jeannette Hope at Cloggs Cave and Paul Ossa at New Guinea II. These provide a consistent, dated sequence of fauna spanning the last thirty millennia. Cloggs Cave is of particular importance in the debate about the extinction of megafauna in Australia for its lowest layer contains a mandible of the extinct short-faced kangaroo Sthenurus orientalis, dated to 21,700 +1250/ -1050 BP (ANU- 1220).( NB this is a revision of the previously published radiocarbon age). This is one of only three firmly dated 'late' occurrences of megafauna in Australia. Rock art is extremely rare in Victoria but Buchan caves contain two examples, macaroni-style engravings in New Guinea II and a painting at Cloggs Cave (analysis of pigment from the latter show it is natural pigment mixed with animal fat and therefore of Aboriginal, not modern origin). Prehistoric artefacts have also been found in several caves in the Buchan region (those excavated by Flood, Ossa and by the late Alexander Gallus (in East Buchan II) are now in the National Museum of Victoria in Melbourne). Twenty millennia ago Cloggs Cave and New Guinea II were occupied by hunter-gatherers, using stone and bone tools to manufacture wooden artefacts and skin cloaks. The oldest human occupation yet discovered dates to about 21,000 years at New Guinea II, a similar antiquity to the oldest artefacts excavated by Flood in the small, granite rock-shelter of Birrigai in the ACT. This indicated human presence at least on the fringes of the Snowy Mountains at the height of the last ice age. Aboriginal people have lived in the region continuously ever since, as much younger tool types attest in Cloggs Cave, New Guinea II and EB II.
These findings show the tremendous potential cultural and scientific significance of even small, unprepossessing caves and rock-shelters, and there is a need for much further research to be carried out in southeastern Australia. Regarding site protection, none of these caves or rock-shelters are suitable for public entry and metal grilles and padlocked gates are in place at most of them, but they do need regular monitoring by site managers to prevent damage from burrowing animals etc. Informative interpretive panels would also aid public education and understanding and the cause of Aboriginal reconciliation. I would be happy to provide the content for roadside signs in the region of New Guinea II and the Lower Snowy River open air campsites (near the NSW-Vic border) and for Cloggs Cave near the bridge from where the cave is visible.