New Pleistocene ages for backed artefact technology in Australia

Abstract Two recently excavated sites adjacent to the Gregory River at Riversleigh in northwestern Queensland have yielded backed artefacts from Pleistocene sediments. One backed artefact is from an 80 cm deep, dense shell midden near the Old Lilydale Homestead (OLH) and radiocarbon determinations on associated freshwater mussel Alathyria cf. pertexta returned Late Pleistocene ages. Two backed artefacts from the limestone rockshelter GRE8 were also recovered from Pleistocene levels. All three backed artefacts are similar to geometric microliths, which are commonly associated with Holocene archaeological deposits. These data complement arguments for early Holocene and Pleistocene backed artefacts in southeastern Australia.