THE SCADDAN IMPLEMENT, A RE-ANALYSIS OF A PROBABLE ACHEULIAN HANDAXE FOUND IN WESTERN AUSTRALIA

WA Museum Records and Supplements | Updated 1 decade ago

Introduction
In 1949 N.B. Tindale described a bifacially flaked flint implement found in a rural district of Western Australia and interpreted it as an Aboriginal artefact (Tindale 1949). The specimen (Figures 1 and 2), known as the Scaddan implement, had been the subject of debate among several Australian scholars for a decade prior to Tindale's publication. The late B.V.V. Noone was apparently somewhat puzzled by the Scaddan implement, and in his only published reference to the specimen wrote:

In the neighbourhood of Scaddon [sic], near Esperance, has been found a remarkable biface implement in flint, with unfortunately the point broken. This shows dark stained patination, and is in form and appearance strikingly similar to the Lower Paleolithic implements found in England (Noone 1943: 278).

F.D. McCarthy was not hesitant in questioning the origin of the Scaddan implement. Be states:

IThere is some doubt as to whether the Scaddan specimen is an Australian implement. It resembles more closely the flint coup de poing from Europe, examples of which, brought here by various people or in ships' ballast, have found their way into strange places in Australia. (McCarthy 1958: 178)

Our own doubts about the Scaddan implement being an Aboriginal artefact have led to the following re-analysis.

Author(s) DORTCH, C.E. AND GLOVER, J.E : Part 4
Page Number
319