Bevel-edged tools from coastal southeast Queensland McNiven, Ian J Antiquity; Sep 1, 1992; 66, 252; Periodicals Archive Online pg. 701 NOTES 701 bayerische Feuchtbodensiedlung der Altheimer Kultur, Materialhefte fiir Bayerische Vorge- schichte. Munich: Lassleben Kallmiinz. In press b. Der Koislhof, eine neue Feuchtboden- siedlung, Das Archiiologische Jahr in Bayern 1991. OTTAWAY, B.S. & G. DAVIES. 1990. Funde des Altheimer Neolithikums auf dem Galgenberg bei Kopfham, Das Archdo]ogische Jahr in Bayern 1989: 52-5. Bevel-edged tools from coastal southeast Queensland IAN J. MCNIVEN* A distinctive type of stone tool, from midden sites on the eastern Queensland coast of Australia, is identified from ethnographic accounts of the preparation of fern roots as food. Introduction Of stone tools in Australia for processing plant foods, the best-documented types are the variety of seed grinding millstones and mortars from the arid and semi-arid zones of the continent (e.g. Cane 1989; Smith 1986; 1989). Less well known are stone tools used to process plants in coastal regions (Brayshaw 1990; Cundy 1985; Jones & Meehan 1989; Levitt 1981; Meehan et al. 1979; Reynolds 1987; Thompson 1949). Bevel-edged tools are a distinctive flaked stone artefact type, mostly found in shell mid- dens along the coastal fringe of southeast Queensland (Gillieson & Hall 1982) (FIGURE 1). They were used during the last 5000 years and are associated with the processing of starchy plant foods. Although they have been called 'bungwall choppers' (Jackson 1939) or 'bevelled pounders' (Kamminga 1981), I prefer the func- tionally neutral term 'bevel-edged tool' (McNiven 1990; 1991a) to avoid confusion over their specific mode of use. This paper summar- izes recent research on these tools, focusing on tool morphology. manufacture, use, chronology and maintenance. Morphology and manufacture Bevel-edged tools are generally fist-sized arte- facts, exhibiting a wedge-shaped profile with pronounced bevelling along one or more work- ing edges (FIGURE 2). They have a usual weight of between 300 and 600 g, although specimens over 1000 g have been recorded. A variety of raw materials were used, with a strong preference towards fine- to medium-grained siliceous stones with moderate to good flaking qualities, such as silcrete and arkose. Many tools exhibit cortex, indicating they were made from water- worn river cobbles (Gillieson & Hall 1982; McNiven 1991a). The most distinctive feature of these artefacts is massive use-wear bevelling along working edges. In some cases, this bevelling is so pro- nounced as to give the impression that the working edge has melted away Although the specific form of bevels varies considerably, detailed examination of 35 tools from midden sites at the mouth of the Maroochy River (FIGURE 1) revealed a mean of nearly 3 bevelled edges per tool (range 1-5), with a mean bevel length of 32 mm (range 6-110 mm) and mean maximum bevel width of5 mm (range 1-18 mm) (McNiven 1989; 1991a). Tools are generally cores or large flakes. The degree of flaking modification varies consider- ably from whole or split river cobbles with onl\' a few negative flake scars (e.g. FIGURE 2a), up t~ heavily flaked cores exhibiting multiple plat- * Department of Archaeology. La Trobc Unh·ersil\', Bundoora. \'ictoria 3083, Australia. ANTIQUITY 66 (1992): 701-9 Copyright© 2011 ProQuest LLC. All rights reserved. Copyright© Antiquity Publications Ltd.