Portals in a watery realm: cultural landscapes in northern Cape York

In the last decade or so there has been an explosion of interest in the cultural landscapes concept in academic archaeology and as a conceptual vehicle within cultural heritage management. In spite of this (Dr perhaps as a result) there is a plethora of understandings of the concept itself. This paper provides further elaboration on the application of cultural landscapes in northem Cape York Peninsula, particularty in relation to connections between cultural constructions of indigenous people and nature of the physical landscape. It suggests refinements on previous ways of 'seeing' archaeological sites through indigenous eyes and altemative approaches to conceptualizing cultural heritage. The explosion of interest in the cu~ural landscapes concept suggests the degree to which it is theoretically useful and appropriate. In spite of this (or perthaps as a result) there appear to be a plethora of understandings of the concept itself. It appears that there may be many different 'cultural landscapes' and while the lack of definrtion may be problematic for pundits of orderty academic disciplines it may, In fact, represent the reality of cultural diversity. This paper provides a case study for a particular cultural landscape that lies at the very tip of the Australian mainland in northern Cape York (see Rgure t). This has been a work in progress, begun more than two decades ago as part of my doctoral project (Greer 1996a, 1996b, 1999; Greer et al. 2002). I first described this curtural landscape by drawing on con.temporary indigenous cosmologies of northern Cape York peoples, sU9gesting that they are (as the name implies) entirely cultural constructs mapping beliefs, stories and practices 'on the ground' . This explanation was proposed in opposition to (then) widespread understandings of the concept as the 'combined works of nature and man' . In the intervening years there have been many case studies that have exploded and expanded this limited definition. This paper represents a further refinement of eartier work that may shed light on at least one approach to indigenous cultural landscapes in Australia.