Acacia has had a cultural use spanning 50,000 years, a study analyzing ancient campfires in Australia’s Western Desert has found.
There are about 1,350 species of acacia found throughout the world and close to 1,000 of these grow in Australia.
Commonly known as “wattle” in Australia, Acacia is the largest genus of vascular plants in the country.
Photo: AFP
The practice of archeobotany was used by researchers to analyze charcoal preserved in the oldest archeological site on Martu Country.
The research, led by Chae Byrne from the University of Western Australia, alongside Martu indigenous owners, found that Australia’s floral emblem has been integral to indigenous survival for tools, food and medicine for more than 50,000 years.
By examining desert rock shelters in Katjarra and Karnatukul, Byrne found the earliest uses of firewood in the region, confirming wattle had been a constant, dependable source in a harsh environment.
“Wattle was critical to the lives of the Martu and essential to the habitability of the arid landscape of the sand plains and rocky ridges of the Western Desert — and it still is,” Byrne said.
“We have all grown up looking at the coat of arms and seeing green and gold — it’s so iconic in Australia. But this gives us a deeper meaning … wattle expands through time. It’s a central part of our nation,” Byrne said.
More than 100 species of wattle have been used by indigenous communities for firewood, to make tools, as food and as medicine.
However, the study was the first to confirm that early indigenous explorers settled and prospered in the arid part of the Western Desert during harsh changes in climate that saw widespread drought and desertification when polar ice sheets grew.
Byrne said that preserving areas where wattle was growing was vital to indigenous owners’ survival in the region through the extreme climate fluctuations.
“Really significantly during arid times, wattle was used at the site ... showing the area was a really significant place for resources during times of scarcity,” Byrne said.
“Wattle seeds during fire, and [the seeds] are able to be kept and preserved. It can also be picked off the tree and dried out,” he added.
Seeds of wattle have been widely used as a popular food source, collected and ground into a paste, and cooked into an unleavened loaf in wood ashes — as have gum and young roots.
Wattle has also been demonstrated to treat aches, pains and infections, most commonly through infusion and smoke treatment.
“There is a purpose and significance for every type of tree and bush — an ancient grocer and pharmacy that has provided and prospered for tens of thousands of years,” Byrne said.
By sampling trees growing in the region, researchers were able to compare the specimens with ancient charcoal fragments discovered from campfires in the archeological sites.
“Looking at plant remains is particularly useful in studying Australian indigenous heritage, given the persistent importance of natural resources like trees and the rarity of other cultural remains in the deep time record,” Byrne said.
“There’s so much we can learn from charcoal, not just about the people that produced it, but also in environmental science and climate change,” Byrne said.
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