Appendix C - Cultural Heritage Impact Assessment - Peabody Energy

Cultural Heritage Impact Assessment
North Wambo Underground Mine Modification
6.3.28 Wambo Site 359 (AS M)
This artefact scatter was identified along an existing dirt track in an area vegetated by casuarinas. The
artefacts were identified in an erosion scald which consisted of redeposited A horizon soils atop cracked B
horizon. Disturbances included sheet wash erosion, previous tree clearing and farming practices. This site
was within the project area but outside of the MA.
6.3.29 Wambo Site 360 (ST3)
A possible scar tree was identified on a south east facing slope close to a large artefact scatter, Wambo Site
57. The narrow leaved red ironbark tree was considered to have both Aboriginal cultural scarring as well as
evidence of wounding from having been struck by a nearby tree falling from the north west. The cultural
scarring was in the lower part of the trunk facing north east (Plates 23 and 24).
6.3.30 Wambo Site 361 (IF AA)
This site was a newly identified isolated find situated in grass adjacent to a gravel access road. The artefact
was a red mudstone flake. The area showed evidence of previous inundation (Plate 25).
6.3.31 Wambo Site 362 (AS AB)
This artefact scatter was identified during the survey work near the intersection of a gravel access road and
another disused vehicle track. The artefacts included three mudstone flakes, one of which was in two
pieces; one tuff flake; one tuff core; and one silcrete core. All the artefacts were scattered along the edges of
the disused track, which was highly eroded as a result of regular inundation (Plate 25).
6.3.32 Wambo Site 363 (AS AC)
This site was located in the creek bed of Stony Creek, a tributary of South Wambo Creek, immediately prior
to the confluence of the two streams. The creek bed was dry and sandy with some pebbles and cobbles.
Three yellow mudstone flakes were identified and recorded during the survey (Plate 26).
Site cards for all sites within the MA are included in Appendix 7. Sites identified in the survey area are tabled
below:
6.4 Discussion of Survey Results
Review of previous archaeological investigations in the region of the project area and Aboriginal site
predictive modelling are used to interpret the regional archaeological record. The analysis of this data
indicated that both artefact scatters and isolated finds were the most likely site types to be present in the
project area.
Research conducted for the Warkworth area (i.e. the wider local area) prior to field survey found that the
area was rich in stone artefact sites, with previous archaeological information indicating the dominant raw
material as mudstone and silcrete with minor occurrences of quartz, quartzite, basalt, chert, tuff, sandstone
and felsic volcanics. This research also found that stone artefact sites generally occur on the mid to lower
slopes, saddles, crests of small hills and the foot and toe slopes within 50m of perennial creeks and rivers.
Consideration of the existing land modifications in the project area and the results of the field surveys
illustrated that the predicted connection between an artefact and its environment had been somewhat
compromised in the highly disturbed parts of the project area such as tilled paddocks, dams and formed dirt
tracks. There were no areas identified as likely to have intact deposit.
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