Mainland magic: interpreting influences across Cape York-Torres Strait

Abstract

In this paper, the authors will explore current interpretations of Torres Strait archaeology. These interpretations suggest that while mainland Australians occupied the 'ancestral Cape York Peninsula' until around 6000 years ago, they were colonized by people from the north around 3500-3000 years ago. We suggest that such interpretations are problematic for a number of reasons, including their reliance on the ethnographic interpretations of Haddon (1901-35) and Lawrence (1994, 1998) and the current lack of comparative archaeological evidence from northern Cape York.