Understanding Cultural History Using Ground-Penetrating Radar Mapping of Unmarked Graves in the Mapoon Mission Cemetery, Western Cape York, Queensland, Australia

• Published in: International journal of historical archaeology Vol. 17; no. 4; pp. 782 - 805
• Main Authors: Sutton, Mary-Jean, Conyers, Lawrence B., Day, Alma, Flinders, Harriet, Luff, Florence, Madua, Susie, De Jersey, Zoe, De Jersey, Stan, Savo, Roy, Busch, William
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Boston Springer Science+Business Media 01.12.2013; Springer US
• Subjects: Amplitude; Antennas; Archaeology; Australia; Bauxite; Burial; Cemeteries; Coffins; Cultural heritage; Graves; Indigenous populations; Mortuary customs; Occupations; Oral history; Preservation of cultural heritage; Queensland; Radar; Radar echoes; Recorded interviews; Social Sciences; Mapoon; Missions; Ground-penetrating radar; Unmarked graves; Burial detection
• ISSN: 1092-7697; 1573-7748
• DOI: 10.1007/s10761-013-0242-1

The Mapoon Mission Cemetery in Cape York, Queensland contains unmarked pre-contact burials with potential national heritage values, despite a lack of formal recognition and protection through State and National heritage listings. Ground-penetrating radar (GPR) showed great potential as a non-intrusive technique to identify over 120 potential unmarked graves and understand mortuary practices at the Cemetery. When integrated with written and oral histories, such information provided new insights into the cultural history of this region, particularly the continuity of Aboriginal occupation and changes in mortuary practices since the establishment of the Mapoon Mission.