BDBSA Project Metadata Detail

Survey/Project Number: 1051          Total No. of Sites: 0
Survey/Project Name: Taphonomy and site formation - Blanche Cave
Abstract: This project aims to investigate taphonomy and fossil site formation of Blanche Cave 3rd Chamber (adjacent roof window entrance 5U6), Naracoorte Caves National Park, South Australia. Project involves fossil excavation, sedimentary and geochronological analyses. Project builds upon project 'Palaeoecology of Blanche Cave'. Project was later built upon by project 'Natural variation in small mammal communities - Blanche Cave' by Dr Amy Macken and links to project 'Lessons of Past Climate Change - Blanche Cave' by Dr Liz Reed. REFERENCES: 1. Darrenougue, N., De Deckker, P., Fitzsimmons, K.E., Norman, M.D., Reed, L., van der Kaars, S. and Fallon, S. 2009. A late Pleistocene record of aeolian sedimentation in Blanche Cave, Naracoorte, South Australia. Quaternary Science Reviews 28, 2600-2615. 2. Macken, A.C., Staff, R.A. and Reed, E.H. 2013b. Bayesian age-depth modelling of Late Quaternary deposits from Wet and Blanche caves, Naracoorte, South Australia: a framework for comparative faunal analyses. Quaternary Geochronology 17, 26-43. 3. Macken, A.C. and Reed, E.H. 2013. Late Quaternary small mammal faunas of the Naracoorte Caves World Heritage Area. Transactions of the Royal Society of South Australia 137, 53-67. 4. St Pierre, E., Zhao, J. and Reed, E. 2009. Expanding the utility of Uranium-series dating of speleothems for archaeological and palaeontological applications. Journal of Archaeological Science 36, 1416-1423. 5. St Pierre, E., Zhao, J. and Reed, E. 2012. U-series dating of soda straw stalactites from excavated deposits: method development and application to Blanche Cave, Naracoorte, South Australia. Journal of Archaeological Science 39, 922-930.
 
Start Date: 05/12/2006      End Date: 30/11/2008
Survey Type: Fauna only
   
Study Area Description: Third Chamber, Blanche Cave (entrance 5U4,5,6), Naracoorte Caves National Park: Zone 54, Easting 481872, Northing 5901424.
Objectives
         Vegetation: *** No vegetation survey objectives recorded
         Fauna: Refer to Abstract.
Methodology
         Vegetation: *** No vegetation methodology recorded
         Fauna: SAMPLE COLLECTION: Excavation of 4 x 1 m3 grid squares (grid squares A3, B3, C2 and C3) from 3rd Chamber, Blanche Cave. Grid squares were excavated according to 27 discrete layers (1-27), ranging from 1 to 6 cm thick following the stratigraphy. Test Pit was excavated as part of this project. Position assumed to coincide with location of existing grid squares. VERTEBRATE FOSSIL PREPARATION: Sediment bags from all grid squares were wet screened. Bags from grid square A3 were sorted for craniodental and other diagnostic specimens. Small mammal material from this grid square was taxonomically identified by Dr Amy Macken for project: Natural variation in small mammal communities - Blanche Cave. Material from grid square B3 partially sorted and material from grid squares C2 and C3 remains unsorted. Material from test pit is partially sorted, with only a minor proportion of material identified. No test pit material is registered. VERTEBRATE FOSSIL REGISTRATION Small mammal craniodental material from grid square A3 registered to the Flinders University fossil collection (FU14100-14685) by Dr Amy Macken for project: Natural variation in small mammal communities - Blanche Cave. Note: Fossil material from Layers 4 and 14 of grid square A3 are missing. Fossils from these layers were examined from grid square B3. Refer publications for more details. SEDIMENTARY ANALYSES: Sediments from a core were analysed for physical and chemical characteristics (see publications for details). Further profile analysis undertaken in other publications. GEOCHRONOLOGICAL ANALYSES: Radiocarbon, optically-stimulated luminescence (OSL) and uranium-thorium (U-Th) dating by various groups (see publications for details). Sediment cores were collected in 2004 as a pre-cursor to this project.

Data Distribution Rules: Public Dataset
Project Basis: Fauna : Fossil excavation
Information Authority: Department for Environment and Heritage (BDBSA:South East)