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7.1.3 Artefact Scatter
The following description of the artefact scatter at Chinaman's Well was
made during a visit to the site in August 1987. The general nature of the
area involved is shown in photograph 9. Since 1987 considerable
disturbance has occurred as the site is being currently used for pastoral
purposes. The disturbance, however, is confined to extensive trampling by
sheep and is probably no greater than that to which it has been subjected
on numerous occasions since the 1890s. The majority of the scatter in
1987 was east and south of the stone hut. It seems that much of it had
been spread by f1oodwaters, as the general spread was from the hut
towards Bendigo Creek. It may be, however, that this disturbance was the
result of the site works by Blore, and that the mound of earth downstream
of the site contains a significant proportion of the artefacts previously
covering the site.
" Within the first fifty meter quadrat is the main, but compartively
sparse, concentration of artefacts. The scatter is mostly glass,
including pale green bottle glass, apparently the base of gin bottles,
amethyst glass which looks like the base of a drinking glass, black
glass and the base of 'beer' bottles. A number of bottles have been
washed further towards the watercourse and some of these are
complete. Also in the scatter is glazed white pottery, and a piece of
stoneware, perhaps a ginger jar. This is beige around the rim, and
has a shallow lip which is more highly glazed. Inside is unglazed
apart from what has spread inside from the exterior glazing process.
The item also has a white glaze on parts of the exterior with what
appear to be blue figures just below the curve of the rim.
"Also in the area is a clear glass bottle about 85mm high and
perhaps 15mm square, which appears to have had a stopper in it,
and the upper portions of quite a lot of bottles which had applied
tops. Most of these are darker green glass. Closer to the survey
origin are three pieces of quarter-inch plate glass, and some
ceramic material which has a Chinese character painted on the
base, a piece of a bowl which has the number thirteen painted onto
its base, and a Chinese medicine vial about 80mm high and 15mm
by 10mm in section.
"Within the same quadrat is blue printed glazed pottery - two or
three pieces of it, and some white plain pottery. About 8.5 meters
south of origin is the base and the applied top a black glass gin
bottle. There are pieces of a stoneware demijohn about 20 meters
east and about 6 or 7 meters north of the origin with another piece
of the same demijohn being located 10 meters to the east. Also in
this general area is a Johnny Walker whisky bottle of recent date.
Towards Bendigo Creek is the base of a brown-glazed Chinese soy
or food jar, a Chinese coin, some buttons, and other fittings which
perhaps come from items of clothing. About 24 meters east of the