In the greater Melbourne
area there are about 1760 registered Indigenous archaelogoical sites
which include:
Shell middens
Middens are discarded shells and other debris (such as bones) which
have accumulated often over great periods of time. Charcoal from
cooking fires is usually evident. Sometimes stone and bone tools
are found.
Scarred Trees
Scarred trees show evidence of removal of slabs of bark by Indigenous
people for a wide variety of purposes including the building of
canoes, shelter and containers. They are usually close to permanent
water and commonly of the box or red gum eucalypt species.
Quarries/stone sources
The location of sources of stone which could be used in the manufacture
of stone tools were well-known to Indigenous people. A large greenstone
quarry north of Melbourne was used to make highly prized axes. There
are also over 30 slicrete outcrops, mainly in the north and west
of Melbourne where small flaked implements were made.
Ceremonial Sites
Five earth rings north-west of Melbourne are believed to have been
used for ceremonial purposes, probably for initiation ceremonies.
The rings are made of low circular banks of earth.
Grinding Grooves
These are usually found on large rocks made of an abrasive sandstone
suitable for sharpening stones axes. Frequently such rocks have
large numbers of grooves in their surface.
Wells
Rock wells are water holes in rocks that were used for Indigenous
people as a source of fresh water. Sometimes a cover of bark or
stone was used to stop evaporation or to keep the water source clean.
Stone Artefacts
Stone tools are often the only evidence of Indigenous camping sites
and activities. They include larger tools such as stone hatchets,
hammerstones and grinding stones. Scatters of small stone artefacts
usually indicate places where small flakes were repaired or manufactured
for everyday use such as shaping wood or making spear points.
