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Chinese assemblages studied by others are discussed at paragraph 8.0.2.
At this point it needs to be emphasised that this information suggests that
unless the Chinese sites at Milparinka are very unusual, they could be
expected to contain a reasonably complex mixture of both Chinese and
European artefacts. In addition, the 'Cox period', discussed at paragraph
8.2.2, is roughly contiguous with the last years of Chinese occupation of
Chinaman's Garden Well. These two factors make it unlikely that any
mixing of the assemblage at Chinaman's Garden Well will be visible. In
regard to Chinaman's Well, the situation is more complex, as there is no
historical chronology from which to draw guidance. Certainly the surface
record is disturbed, but the degree to which it contains material from other
occupation periods is problematic.
At both sites the local propensity for reuse of materials, and for the
hoarding of materials gathered from other locations is a further
complication.
8.0.1 Methodology
During the winter of 1988 one meter grids were surveyed over the sites
identified as Chinaman's Well, Cox's Well, and Chinaman's Garden Well.
The alignment of these grids was determined by the location of a traverse
established along the major axis of the site. Permanent markers (wooden
survey pegs) were placed at fifty meter intersects, and the compass
bearing along the major axis was noted. At each site a major feature was
chosen as a permanent reference point.
Site features were surveyed according to their offsets from the fifty-meter
grid lines, and site plans were developed from these surveys. The contours
of creeks and subsidiary watercourses were noted, but with the exception
of two depressions at Chinaman's Garden Well no attempt was made to
plot other contour details of the sites. As mentioned elsewhere, Cox's Well
was excluded from further analysis. A basic description of that site is
included as Appendix F.
Artefactual material was collected and bagged according to the surveyed
one-meter grid. Statistics relating to the collected material were as follows.
Site Area Surveyed #Quads with #Finds #Items
(Quads -1 Sq.m) Artefacts
Chinaman's Well 17500 28 146 459
Chinaman's Garden Well 15000 73 556 1683
Totals 32500 101 702 2142