Monash Publication No.51/GES
Monash Publications in Geography & Environmental Science: Number 51
Ngarrabullgan: Geographical Investigations in Djungan Country, Cape York Peninsula
Edited by Bruno David
In 1988 I saw Mt. Mulligan for the first time. Its archaeological potential was tremendous. With the help of Dr. Roger Cribb I was introduced to some of the Djungan elders, the traditional Aboriginal owners of the mountain. It is then that I realised that Mt. Mulligan was known under a different name Ngarrabullgan by the local Djungan community. It is then also that I first realised the mountains great spiritual importance, home of Eekoo and other Dreaming beings.
That year I met Djungan elders Sam Wason; Esmee and the late John Grainer; Alf Neal; Ray Burns and their families. It was only later that I would meet members of the Archer family, Jimmy and George. From the onset, I was not only welcomed to undertake archaeological research in the region, but within half-an-hour of meeting Grainger, John Grainer and Sam Wason, I was handed a pair of binoculars and directed by them to excavate a large cave at the top of Ngarrabullgan, a site I had not yet seen; indeed I had not even been to the top of the mountain at that stage. This proved to be one of the oldest known Aboriginal sites in Australia, one of particular interest to scientists given its large amounts of charcoal and fine layering of deposits.
From those first moments, a close relationship between many members of the Djungan community and the research team. Every so often we would be contacted to do some research on behalf of the community. At other times, I would contact the community for permission to undertake scientific research that I was particularly interested in. The initial fruits of this latter research are presented here, the first of two planned monographs on the cultural and natural history of Ngarrabullgan.
This monograph presents results by discipline; it does not attempt to integrate these results into an overall archaeological story. This will be the subject of the second volume. Rather, it aims to make the raw data available to others, partly to enable a better evaluation of the archaeological results that will be published in scientific journals, or presented at conferences over the next few years. It is also to present our scientific results in a single format to the Djungan community.
While the archaeology may be the major focus of the scientific work, we should not overlook the significance of Ngarrabullgan to the other disciplines, for whether it be botany, zoology, geology or geomorphology, the mountain possesses many secrets that have already, in each of these subjects, caused major excitement. It is hoped that some of these sources of interest are successfully portrayed in the monograph.
In undertaking this work, we must also never forget that Ngarrabullgan is the heart and homeland of the Djungan community. It is a very special spiritual place. Research here has been, and must only be, done with extreme respect for both the mountain, the spirits that inhabit it, and the peoples to whom they have special meaning.