There are two views about the antiquity of backed artefacts in Australia. Most dated specimens are between 4,000 and 1,500 years old, and it is obvious that intense production of backed artefacts ocurred at that time. However backed blades are found associated with both older and younger dates. For example, in a number of sites, spread across Australia, backed artefacts have been excavated from older deposits (often dating to between 5,000 BP and 8,000 BP). Debate is focussed on the interpretation of these specimens found in older contexts.

One argument is that specimens associated with older dates are disturbed, and have moved downward in a deposit to come into false association with older charcoal. From this interpretation all of the backed artefacts that have been recorded in older contexts are thought to be only about 3-4,000 years old. This argument was originally devised by Johnson (1979), and has been adopted by researchers such as White and O'Connell (1982) and Bowdler and O'Connor (1991).

The alternative argument is that the specimens associated with older radiocarbon samples are, at least in some cases, properly dated by that association. From this interpretation backed artefacts began being made in the early Holocene or before but were not manufactured in large numbers until after about 4,000 years ago. This argument was originally developed by Pearce (1974) but has had few supporters until recently (see Hiscock 1994). Recent research, yielding convincing examples of early backed artefacts, has shown that this type of artefact was probably made at least 7-8,000 years ago in Australia (Hiscock and Attenbrow 1998). Photographs of early speciemens from Mangrove Creek are available.

There has also been two views about whether backed artefacts were manufactured in the terminal prehistoric period (i.e. the last 1,000 or 1,500 years). While it was once argued that backed artefacts ceased to be made in the late Holocene this is no longer obvious. Hiscock (1994) has shown that in many parts of Australia backed artefacts were made during the last millenium and in some locations were still being manufactured in the historic period (see also White and O'Connell 1982).

For additional information see:

Bowdler,S. and S.O'Connor 1991 The dating of the Australian Small Tool Tradition, with new evidence from the Kimberley, WA. Australian Aboriginal Studies 1991/1:53-62.

Hiscock,P. 1994 Technological responses to risk in Holocene Australia. Journal of World Prehistory 8(3):267-292.

Hiscock, P. and V.Attenbrow 1998 Early Holocene backed artefacts from Australia. Archaeology in Oceania 33:49-62.

Johnson,I. 1979 The getting of data. Unpublished PhD thesis, Australian National University.

Pearce,R.H. 1974 Spatial and temporal distribution of Australian Backed blades. Mankind 9:300-309.

White,J.P. and J.F.O'Connell 1982 A prehistory of Australia, New Guinea and Sahul. Academic Press, Sydney.