Editing Microlith (section)

=== Australia ===
The most common form of microliths found in Australia are backed artefacts. The earliest backed artefacts have been dated to the terminal [[Pleistocene]], however they become increasingly common in [[Aboriginal Australians|Aboriginal Australian]] societies in the mid-[[Holocene]], before declining in use and disappearing from the archaeological record approximately 1000 years before the [[History of Australia (1788–1850)|British invasion of the continent in 1788]].<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Slack |first1=Michael J. |last2=Fullagar |first2=Richard L.K. |last3=Field |first3=Judith H. |last4=Border |first4=Andrew |date=October 2004 |title=New Pleistocene ages for backed artefact technology in Australia |url=https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/j.1834-4453.2004.tb00569.x |journal=Archaeology in Oceania |language=en |volume=39 |issue=3 |pages=131–137 |doi=10.1002/j.1834-4453.2004.tb00569.x|url-access=subscription }}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Hiscock |first1=Peter |last2=Attenbrow |first2=Val |date=July 2004 |title=A revised sequence of backed artefact production at Capertee 3, New South Wales |url=https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/j.1834-4453.2004.tb00566.x |journal=Archaeology in Oceania |language=en |volume=39 |issue=2 |pages=94–99 |doi=10.1002/j.1834-4453.2004.tb00566.x|url-access=subscription }}</ref> The cause of this proliferation event is debated amongst archaeologists.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Attenbrow |first1=Val |last2=Robertson |first2=Gail |last3=Hiscock |first3=Peter |date=2009-12-01 |title=The changing abundance of backed artefacts in south-eastern Australia: a response to Holocene climate change? |url=https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0305440309002994 |journal=Journal of Archaeological Science |language=en |volume=36 |issue=12 |pages=2765–2770 |doi=10.1016/j.jas.2009.08.018 |bibcode=2009JArSc..36.2765A |issn=0305-4403|url-access=subscription }}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last=Hiscock |first=Peter |date=2008-06-28 |title=Pattern and Context in the Holocene Proliferation of Backed Artifacts in Australia |url=http://doi.wiley.com/10.1525/ap3a.2002.12.1.163 |journal=Archeological Papers of the American Anthropological Association |language=en |volume=12 |issue=1 |pages=163–177 |doi=10.1525/ap3a.2002.12.1.163|url-access=subscription }}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last1=White |first1=Peter |last2=Bowdler |first2=Sandra |last3=Kuhn |first3=Steven |last4=McNiven |first4=Ian |last5=Shott |first5=Michael |last6=Veth |first6=Peter |last7=White |first7=Peter |date=2011-06-01 |title=Forum: Backed Artefacts: Useful Socially and Operationally |url=https://doi.org/10.1080/03122417.2011.11690534 |journal=Australian Archaeology |volume=72 |issue=1 |pages=67–75 |doi=10.1080/03122417.2011.11690534 |issn=0312-2417|url-access=subscription }}</ref>

Geographically they are found across almost all of continental Australia, except for the far north, but are particularly common in south-east Australia. Historically, backed artefacts were divided into asymmetrical Bondi points and symmetrical geometric microliths, however there appears to be no geographic or temporal pattern in the distribution of these shapes.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Hiscock |first=Peter |date=2014-12-01 |title=Geographical variation in Australian backed artefacts: Trialling a new index of symmetry |url=https://doi.org/10.1080/03122417.2014.11682028 |journal=Australian Archaeology |volume=79 |issue=1 |pages=124–130 |doi=10.1080/03122417.2014.11682028 |issn=0312-2417|url-access=subscription }}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Mcdonald |first1=Jo |last2=Reynen |first2=Wendy |last3=Fullagar |first3=Richard |date=October 2018 |title=Testing predictions for symmetry, variability and chronology of backed artefact production in Australia's Western Desert |url=https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/arco.5162 |journal=Archaeology in Oceania |language=en |volume=53 |issue=3 |pages=179–190 |doi=10.1002/arco.5162 |issn=0728-4896}}</ref> Backed artefact manufacturing workshops have been identified at [[Lake George (New South Wales)|Ngungara]] show significant variation in shape, which has been linked to the need to replace components of composite tools.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Way |first1=Amy Mosig |last2=Koungoulos |first2=Loukas |last3=Wyatt-Spratt |first3=Simon |last4=Hiscock |first4=Peter |date=2023-04-26 |title=Investigating hafting and composite tool repair as factors creating variability in backed artefacts: Evidence from Ngungara (Weereewa/Lake George), south-eastern Australia |journal=Archaeology in Oceania |volume=58 |issue=2 |language=en |pages=214–222 |doi=10.1002/arco.5292 |issn=0728-4896|doi-access=free |hdl=10072/428642 |hdl-access=free }}</ref>

Several studies in the production of backed artefacts have linked identified [[Heat treating|heat treatment]] as a key component as well as the use of large flank blanks.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Hiscock |first=Peter |date=July 1993 |title=Bondaian Technology in the Hunter Valley, New South Wales |url=https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/j.1834-4453.1993.tb00317.x |journal=Archaeology in Oceania |language=en |volume=28 |issue=2 |pages=65–76 |doi=10.1002/j.1834-4453.1993.tb00317.x|hdl=1885/41387 |hdl-access=free }}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last=White |first=Beth |date=2012-12-01 |title=Minimum Analytical Nodules and lithic activities at site W2, Hunter Valley, New South Wales |url=https://doi.org/10.1080/03122417.2012.11681947 |journal=Australian Archaeology |volume=75 |issue=1 |pages=25–36 |doi=10.1080/03122417.2012.11681947 |issn=0312-2417|url-access=subscription }}</ref>

Functional studies of backed artefacts from south-eastern Australia show that they were multipurpose and multifunctional tools with a similar range of uses as unretouched flakes found at the same sites.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Robertson |first1=Gail |last2=Attenbrow |first2=Val |last3=Hiscock |first3=Peter |date=June 2009 |title=Multiple uses for Australian backed artefacts |url=https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/antiquity/article/abs/multiple-uses-for-australian-backed-artefacts/779DCA6DF8D1261CB1D86150107FE138 |journal=Antiquity |language=en |volume=83 |issue=320 |pages=296–308 |doi=10.1017/S0003598X00098446 |issn=0003-598X|url-access=subscription }}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Robertson |first1=Gail |last2=Attenbrow |first2=Val |last3=Hiscock |first3=Peter |date=July 2019 |title=Residue and use-wear analysis of non-backed retouched artefacts from Deep Creek Shelter, Sydney Basin: Implications for the role of backed artefacts |url=https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/arco.5177 |journal=Archaeology in Oceania |language=en |volume=54 |issue=2 |pages=73–89 |doi=10.1002/arco.5177 |issn=0728-4896|url-access=subscription }}</ref> There is one unambiguous example of them being used as part of composite weapon, either a spear or a club, as 17 backed artefacts were found embedded into the skeleton of an adult male dated to approximately 4000 years BP in the Sydney suburb of [[Narrabeen]].<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=McDonald |first1=Josephine J. |last2=Donlon |first2=Denise |last3=Field |first3=Judith H. |last4=Fullagar |first4=Richard L. K. |last5=Coltrain |first5=Joan Brenner |last6=Mitchell |first6=Peter |last7=Rawson |first7=Mark |date=December 2007 |title=The first archaeological evidence for death by spearing in Australia |url=https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/antiquity/article/abs/first-archaeological-evidence-for-death-by-spearing-in-australia/E7C597E0CF13DBA8EF76738797BE3101 |journal=Antiquity |language=en |volume=81 |issue=314 |pages=877–885 |doi=10.1017/S0003598X00095971 |issn=0003-598X|url-access=subscription }}</ref>