Category Archives: Archaeological Sites

Cuddie Springs : Co-existence of Mega Fauna and People in Australian Prehistory


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Cuddie Springs is an important archaeological and paleontological site, located near Brewarrina in central north New South Wales. About 40 km south of the Barwon River and 15 km west of the Macquarie River it forms a shallow enclosed basin (3 km diameter), away from the natural drainage. The site is in the middle of an ancient lake that irregularly contained water. After heavy rains, the only source of water, the lake may take months to dry again. During arid glacial periods this water attracted animals and also helped in preserving bones that accumulated there. In contrast to the red-soil plains surrounding the lake, its deposit consists of gray soil developed in stagnant water. In an area of about 200 metres diameter, at the lowest centre of the lake, animal bones and stone artefacts have accumulated.

In 1876 the Yeomans family, who owned the property, constructed an 8 metre deep well. During the digging of the well they recovered the bones of some large prehistoric animals. William B Clarke, the father of Australian geology, examined these bones and sent some to Sir Richard Owen, a distinguished geologist at the British Museum in London. Subsequently Dr Charles Anderson from the Australian Museum, with his assistants, conducted scientific excavation at Cuddie Springs in 1933. Between 1991 and 2009 Dr Judith Field from the University of Sydney, with her team and some support of the Australian Museum, excavated the site during several field seasons. She applied the most up to date archaeological and analytical methods that allowed her to understand how the site was formed and the nature of the coexistence of humans with large, now extinct, prehistoric animals.

Research suggests that in arid periods, animals were attracted to the shrinking pool of water in the lake’s centre, where they died by drowning or other causes and their bodies were soon embedded in sediments. The excavation of over 3 metres deep, cut through sediments, reaching to the period before humans appeared in Australia about 50,000 – 60,000 years ago. Layers in the middle, dated to 30,000 – 36,000 years ago, include the bones of large, now extinct animals, other animals that are still alive, as well as stone artefacts. The site is the only one in Australia that contains such clear and complex evidence of the coexistence of mega fauna with humans.


Cueva de las Manos : Ancient spray-painted art in Argentina


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Graffiti spray-painted on the side of a building is an annoying act of vandalism. Graffiti spray-painted on a natural stone formation is an appalling desecration of nature. Graffiti spray-painted on a natural stone formation and allowed to age for thousands of years is a priceless work of art. Go figure.

Patagonia being a rather large area, I was unable to visit all the spots that interested me. One that, unfortunately, I didn’t have time for was La Cueva de las Manos, or “the cave of hands,” in south-central Patagonia. A UNESCO World Heritage site, it’s one of the world’s oldest outdoor art museums; its most striking characteristic is hundreds of stenciled paintings of human hands. And the paintings were made using a primitive but highly effective form of spray paint.

Handing It to Them

Like so many things in Patagonia, the name “Cueva” is a bit of a misnomer; the so-called cave is more of a shallow indentation in a cliff face with overhanging rock. At first glance, the walls appear to be covered with hand prints. On closer inspection, it’s clear that the hand shapes themselves were not painted or imprinted on the walls; instead, you see empty spots in the shape of hands with halos of paint around them. The borders are too diffuse to have been painted with brushes; it looks like someone pressed a hand on the wall and then spray-painted around it to form the image—a process known as negative stenciling. And in fact, this is exactly what happened. The artists apparently blew liquid pigments through small tubes—perhaps the hollow bones of birds—to create the images.

Because most of us consider spray-painting a relatively recent invention, these paintings give the impression of being modern art; the impression is heightened by the deep, vibrant colors. In fact, the oldest of these paintings dates from at least 7,300 B.C., and perhaps earlier. The earliest contributors to the cave were known as Toldense; millennia later, Tehuelche artists were still adding new figures—the most recent paintings were made around 1,000 B.C. Hands are not the only subject, by the way—also pictured are human figures and local animals such as guanacos (relatives of the llama) and rheas (flightless birds that look like miniature ostriches). The paints, of which there are many distinct colors, were made from a variety of substances, including the Calafate berry and mineral pigments. A layer of sealant made from guanaco fat and urine helped to protect the paintings from the elements for all these years.


Haji Piyada Mosque : One of Earliest Mosques in Central Asia


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BACKGROUND

The Haji Piyada Mosque was built in the second half of the 9th century, only two centuries after the establishment of Islam and immediately following its arrival in Central Asia. Located in northern Afghanistan, the mosque measures 65 by 65 feet (20 by 20 meters), a modest but architecturally rich religious structure. The mosque derives its alternate name, Noh Gumbad, from the nine cupolas that once covered it. These brick domes collapsed due to aging materials. Only one of the arches that held them still stands. The stucco ornamentation that remains etched into the arch and piers is a union of motifs of the Samanid and Abbasid styles. Haji Piyada was rediscovered in the 1960s and though cursory research was conducted in the early 1970s, very little has been done in the past few decades because of civil unrest in Afghanistan. The site holds extraordinary potential for archaeological and architectural investigation but has been made vulnerable by looting, erosion, and lack of proper maintenance.

HOW WE HELPED

Haji Piyada Mosque was included in the 2006 Watch List and represents WMF’s first conservation field project in Afghanistan, although Afghan sites had previously appeared on the Watch and WMF had conducted a mission to Herat earlier. WMF worked with UNESCO and other international preservation agencies as well as Afghan officials to conceive a long-term conservation plan. A roof shelter had already been placed over the building to protect it from harsh weather but a fence was still needed to prevent illegal excavation and looting. A structural assessment was conducted and a project for emergency stabilization of the only arch still standing was prepared. The project, conducted with Associazione Giovanni Secco Suardo and the Aga Khan Trust for Culture, will include the conservation of the plaster decorations and the stabilization of the arch. The project will be completed in spring 2010.

WHY IT MATTERS

Haji Piyada Mosque is the oldest known Islamic building in Afghanistan and one of the earliest structures in the entire eastern Islamic world. There seem to be no similar surviving structures from that time period, endowing the mosque with unparalleled cultural and architectural significance. Preserving Afghan heritage has been made all the more important by the recent sociopolitical challenges in the country. In the last 40 years, Afghanistan has endured invasion by the Soviet Union, the rise of the Taliban, military occupation, and internal regional and tribal conflict. With this project, WMF hopes to raise awareness of the cultural heritage of Afghanistan and encourage a new generation of conservators in the region.