Drones help archaeologists find Aboriginal rock art sites hidden in Australia’s rugged Blue Mountains

Drone-mounted laser technology is helping archaeologists locate Aboriginal rock art sites hidden in the rugged, densely vegetated landscapes of Australia’s Blue Mountains, demonstrating a new approach to surveying archaeological sites that can be difficult and expensive to reach on foot.

Researchers from the University of Sydney and the Australian Museum, working alongside the Dharug Custodian Aboriginal Corporation, used drone-based LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) to identify three previously unregistered Aboriginal rock shelters containing rock art and stone artefacts.

LiDAR (Light, Detection and Ranging) uses laser pulses to create detailed 3D maps of the landscape, helping researchers detect features hidden beneath dense bushland and tree cover. The newly recorded shelters contain visually striking rock art, including red hand stencils, as well as stone artefacts.

The team says the approach could help Aboriginal communities, archaeologists and heritage managers locate and protect cultural sites more efficiently across Australia.

The research was published in Remote Sensing.

Walking side by side

The work forms part of the Gulamada Project, which is built on the principle of walking side by side, bringing together scientific knowledge and First Nations cultural knowledge to better understand and care for Country.

“From the outset, our vision for the Gulamada Project has been to create a true nexus of science and culture. This work highlights the importance of listening, learning and working together,” said project co-director, and Indigenous rock art expert, Wayne Brennan, at the University of Sydney.

The Gulamada Project received $248,610 from Round 1 of the Australian Government’s First Nations Heritage Grants program, managed by the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (DCCEEW). This program provides funding for on-Country projects led by First Nations people to help identify, record and protect First Nations heritage in existing World and National Heritage-listed places.

Susan Templeman, the Federal Member for Macquarie, which includes the Blue Mountains said: “This project demonstrates the power of bringing together First Nations knowledge and new technology to better understand and protect Australia’s rich cultural heritage. I’m proud that the Australian Government’s First Nations Heritage Grants program is supporting important projects like Gulamada here in the Blue Mountains, already renowned for the extraordinary natural and cultural significance within our rugged landscapes.”

The drone-based field surveys confirmed the locations of six registered rock shelters and three previously unregistered shelters containing rock art and stone artefacts. The work also produced much more accurate coordinates than those listed in the official NSW sites register – the Aboriginal Heritage Information Management System (AHIMS).

After the drone surveys identified potential rock shelter sites, project co-director Dr Amy Mosig Way, a research archaeologist at the University of Sydney and the Australian Museum, led teams of students and volunteers into the field to verify the locations and assess whether the shelters contained cultural material.

Wayne Brennan and Erin Wilkins (Dharug Custodian Aboriginal Corporation) then led the rock art recording at confirmed sites.

“One of the most rewarding aspects of the Gulamada Project has been creating opportunities for students to gain hands-on experience in cultural heritage research in a community-centred project,” Dr Way said.

Rock shelters in the Blue Mountains

More than 200 rock shelters containing cultural and archaeological evidence have been recorded in the Blue Mountains. Yet, according to Dr Way, only an estimated 10 percent of the region has been surveyed because of its rugged and difficult terrain.

The new methodology enables Aboriginal communities, archaeologists and heritage managers to search vast areas of challenging landscape much faster than traditional ground surveys.

“This work is exciting because it offers an efficient and accurate way to locate sites in rugged environments, which are notoriously arduous, expensive and time-consuming to survey,” said Dr Jacob Bongers, lead author on the drone research and a digital archaeologist at the University of Sydney. He is also a former AMF/AMRI Visiting Research Fellow at the Australian Museum.

“Importantly, our methodology is helping expand the record of Aboriginal cultural sites in the Blue Mountains and has the potential to be applied in other regions,” Dr Bongers said.

Protecting sacred sites

While identifying previously unregistered rock shelters is significant, the broader impact may be the ability to find and safeguard many more cultural sites across Australia using a faster and more targeted approach.

The technology provides Aboriginal communities with another tool to use alongside existing knowledge and cultural practices to locate, document and protect important heritage sites before they are affected by development, erosion, bushfires or other threats.

Further research

These promising results lay the groundwork for further LiDAR-assisted surveys across Australia in partnership with Aboriginal communities.

The research team plans to work with Aboriginal communities to test and adapt the approach in different environments, including the tropical savannahs of western Arnhem Land and the semi-arid landscapes of western NSW.

Ultimately, the methodology could become more than a tool for locating archaeological sites. It has the potential to support Aboriginal communities in documenting, managing and safeguarding cultural landscapes for future generations.