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The impact of visitors on Aboriginal sites in Mungo National Park
Author(s) -
Midgley Emma,
Spennemann Dirk H.R.,
Johnston Harvey
Publication year - 1998
Publication title -
archaeology in oceania
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 1834-4453
pISSN - 0728-4896
DOI - 10.1002/j.1834-4453.1998.tb00420.x
Subject(s) - national park , visitor pattern , archaeology , geography , cultural heritage , world heritage , environmental resource management , tourism , environmental science , computer science , programming language
Visitor impact is an inherent and dynamic component of cultural heritage management whenever cultural sites are accessed by people. Mungo National Park has become the focus of some 35,000 visitors per year. The impacts these visitors have on the archaeological record are investigated in this study. A series of fourteen mock sites, composed of stone artefact and bone scatters, were created in the park and the impacts that visitors had on these sites were monitored over a five month period. The results indicate that high visitation areas are subject to a variety of impacts, and site components are frequently moved, turned over, clustered and pilfered. Recognition of these impacts can lead to improvements in the management and conservation of archaeological sites.