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Almost 60 years ago, the small cave of Durras North was excavated to learn more about the Walbunga Yuin People who have lived along this part of the New South Wales coast for thousands of years. From a 2 m × 2 m pit, an extensive shell midden recording some 500 years of site use was uncovered. Amongst the many kilograms of marine shell were a small number of stone and shell artefacts and almost 500 tools made primarily on short-tailed shearwater bone. Such large collections of osseous technology are rare in the Australian archaeological record and consequently this assemblage provides a unique opportunity to better understand the use of bone on this continent. We revisited this remarkable bone tool assemblage and discovered that the fishing-spear tips indicate several distinctive approaches in their manufacture and style – including some ingeniously utilising the natural structure of the bird bone to create tangs. In addition, we also identified tools used in working organic fibres or leathers, as well as a rare interpersonal weapon. In total, the Durras North osseous assemblage not only provides unprecedented detail on the construction of the multipronged fishing spears which were so common a sight in southeast Australia on European arrival, but also insights into more ephemeral cultural manufacturing and use practices.

Insights from a small sea cave: Reanalysis of the bone technology from Durras North, Yuin Country, Coastal New South Wales, Australia