Late Pleistocene and recent aboriginal occupation of Tunnel Cave and Witchcliffe Rock Shelter, Southwestern Australia

The long occupation of Devil's Lair in the Naturaliste Region, Western Australia, suggests that Aboriginal groups regularly occupied caves in this extreme southwestern corner of the continent as early as 31,000 years BP (Figure 1; Balme et al 1978; Baynes et al 1975; CE Dortch 1979; CE Dortch and J Dortch, in prep). At Tunnel Cave, numerous hearths, artefacts and faunal remains indicate many encampments there throughout the last glacial maximum and up to 8000 years BP (J Dortch 1994). Abundant remains at Witchcliffe Rock Shelter affirm Naturaliste Region cave occupation in the last millennium, as first reported by Lilley (1993) at Rainbow Cave. This article summarises the importance of Tunnel Cave and Witchcliffe Rock Shelter in assessing long-term changes in southwestern Australian site use, diet and technology. ...