Children

As Littleton points out, the burial record reflects a landscape of survival and destruction and the record is neither complete nor representative (2007). Keeping this in mind, children are always found with other burials. No isolated burials of children have been located. This could still be explained by preservation, but at the same time it is an important feature to consider.

Children are often found buried with other children and closely associated with an adult burial (Blackwood & Simpson 1973; Witter et al. 1993; Littleton 2002). For instance, in the Hay Plain the cremated remains particularly of children were interred with the primary burial of an adult suggesting that cremation was part of delaying a burial (Littleton and Allen 2007). The importance of the place and care of children burials becomes extremely evident in a paper written by Musgrave (1930) where a burial practice is described whereby bodies of children who have died were carried by their mothers until an appropriate adult male had died at which time they were buried with him. Musgrave also describes a case in which deceased children’s bodies were treated with ochre and bundled to be placed in an adult burial.  These bundles are found within clusters of burials and further suggest that the body has been returned to a specific location or kept till a particular death.

This specific burial style for children can be interpreted as demonstrating the fact that the hunter-gatherers had the opportunity to choose the manner in which the deceased were buried and impart meaning with the placement, treatment and care of the dead. This further shows the sedentary nature of their lifestyle since they were at leisure to choose where and how exactly to bury their children. It is evident deep thought went in to all child burials as no child is ever left buried alone. If the aborigines were roamers with no bond to specific areas of the land, it is unlikely they would put so much effort into the placement of deceased children’s bodies.