Kartan stone tools add to the evidence of large scale mining activity in bronze age south australia

[kangarooistan]

Kartan stone tools South Australia , Kartan industry is the
archaeological production of a large quantity of exceptionally large
stone tools that were found on Kangaroo Island , South Australia.
According to Kohen, "the Kartan industry consists almost
exclusively of large core tools, unifacially flaked pebble tools and
hammerstones".[4] The tools are very heavy, averaging around ten
times the average of any other assemblage". smaller tools and flakes
are almost totally absent

Some of the Kartan tools are defined by Josephine Flood as having a
"flat base, an overhanging, step-flaked edge, and a high, domed shape
like a horse's hoof"; their function is unexplained,Over 120 Kartan
sites have been found, yielding thousands of pebble choppers and
hundreds of hammerstones.
.
Most of the Kartan tools are of Quartzite brought into the sites .
Few Kartan '' flakes / cutting tools '' have been found, but Kohen
reports one find by
Draper on Kangaroo Island , in a site dated to 7000 years ago, but
dating is still very open to further work as no stratified sites have
been located , all kartan sites are at or near the surface yet all
show a lot of " weathering " indicating their age is not from
recent times

The use of Kartan tools in a truly vast ancient gold , copper and
tin Bronze Age mining industry in South Australia based on their
locations , is currently being investigated , strange as it may
sound the evidence supports a very large mining activity that has not
yet been fully documented yet looks extremely promising indeed ,
but will hopefully one day soon attract the attention it deserves ,
until then its left to a very few people with interest in this long
lost mine site so please forgive the fact that the presentation is
far from " flash and pretty "
see pics https://picasaweb.google.com/107516779059962399739/KartanStoneTools
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kartan_industry
mixed mine research site pics from the ''kartan '' region
https://picasaweb.google.com/107516779059962399739/FabianSouthAustralianAncientMineSite#5457770154239060370