Calibrating Holocene human–environment interactions using ancient narratives: The example of Ngurunderi in South Australia

The essence of stories of human–environment interactions can be preserved in oral contexts for millennia, creating novel opportunities for humanizing the past. This study examines stories (knowledge-rich narratives) about the ancestral being Ngurunderi, told by Ngarrindjeri peoples of South Australia. Three elements of the Ngurunderi narrative are considered. The first recalls his journey along a 170-km long coastal barrier (Younghusband Peninsula) when this was continuous. The second discusses Ngurunderi’s encounters with what are now islands off the Fleurieu Peninsula, some of which he created, interpreted as memories of when sea level was lower and “islands” were contiguous with the mainland. The third refers to the crossing of a land connection between modern Kangaroo Island and the Fleurieu Peninsula, later submerged to form Backstairs Passage. Using paleogeographic data, the most recent times at which each narrative element could have taken place and observed by people are estimated. This research suggests that: (1) stories about Younghusband Peninsula may be >6700 years cal BP; (2) islands off the Fleurieu Peninsula were created 6800–10,400 cal BP; and (3) submergence of Backstairs Passage occurred 11,000–10,100 cal BP. Narratives are linked to the period of early Holocene sea-level rise, the rapid 8200-cal BP sea-level rise event, and stabilization of sea level 7000–6000 cal BP. These narratives humanize the past and provide information that can be interpreted as both observed coastal and seascape changes as well as past human responses to rising sea level that can inform our future encounters with coastal-landscape change.