MAGNETIC MAPPING OF PREHISTORIC ABORIGINAL FIREPLACES AT BUNDA LAKE, BELARABON STATION, WESTERN NEW SOUTH WALES

The analysis and interpretation of surface sites continue to present problems for most Australian archaeologists. Survey work especially in semi-arid environments has been limited by problems associated with the erosional history of the site and often a lack of visibility of artefact materials. The visibility of surface materials and the identification of site boundaries is dependent upon exposure, which is often gradual or patchy and therefore the designation of a site boundary during survey is often arbitrary. Erosion processes result in mixing of surface and sub-surface materials and a chrorlology for these materials is often hard to establish. The critical problems facing the interpretation of many open sites cannot satisfactorily be solved by current survey and analytical methods. At present exploratory open site excavation is considered time-consuming, expensive and destructive. In the political climate prevailing today in Australian archaeology, additional problems face the researcher who wishes to open up large areas of a site. Interested Aboriginal groups are tentative abou