Aboriginal material culture in the Herbert/Burdekin district, North Queensland

Abstract

This thesis is a study of the material culture of the Aborigines of the Herbert/Burdekin district, north Queensland, based on ethnohistorical literature, ethnographic collections and archaeological survey. An attempt has been made to determine the relationship of the material culture to the environment, to discover any cultural variations within the Herbert/Burdekin, and to place the material culture of this region in the wider context of Australian Aboriginal culture. Wherever possible comparisons have been made among all three sources of evidence, and consideration is given to the potential of the procedure adopted in this study as a means of providing a complete and accurate picture of traditional Aboriginal material culture.