Archaeology of animate ancestors and entanglement at Mayarnjarn in the Wellington Range region, Northern Territory

ABSTRACT The Wellington Range region, in far Northern Australia, provides a remarkable record of cultural encounter. Cathedral‐sized rock art galleries include contact imagery referencing Macassan and European visitors while lithic artefact assemblages echo social mobility between Indigenous groups occurring from at least the mid Holocene period. In this paper, we continue trajectory archaeological research region by examining community entanglement over longue durée, focusing on Mayarnjarn rock‐shelter complex. Specifically, following advice traditional custodians, authors complement excavation results with reflections interactions Traditional Mawng speaking Owners archaeologists during 2016 2018 field seasons. This paper chronology built around both OSL radiocarbon dates, first for indicating site activities dating terminal Pleistocene. An increase exotic artefacts presence paintings belonging to pan‐Arnhem land tradition suggests widening networks Holocene. Insight into nuanced nature interactions, also role animate objects as relationship referents, emerge through ethnography experience season unfolds.