Why is archaeology so important?

Thursday, 21 May, 2020

Img 7770

[ELA’s Karyn McLeod on an archaeological dig in Cyprus]

What exactly is archaeology and why is it so important? We asked ELA’s Principal Archaeologist and Heritage Lead, Karyn McLeod, to talk us through a typical project and how our archaeology and heritage team work with clients to navigate this fascinating space.

To most of us it’s just dirt and old pieces of brick, but to Karyn, it’s a moment in time. Stockland engaged ELA’s experts to manage and uncover an archaeological site on their land in South-West Sydney to understand more about the historical development and way of life of people in the past that only an archaeological excavation can find.

Img 6787

[The ELA team on site at the Leppington Park escavations]

This site is currently part of the Willowdale Estate, a 465 hectares housing development which will have 4,500 homes, as well as commercial and recreational space. In the area allocated for a park, on the highest ridgeline of the property, are the remains of Leppington House and several outbuildings from the early 1800s. Stockland intend to conserve and interpret some of the archaeological remains and built structures within a publicly accessible park as a surviving remnant of early settlement of the area.

The remains of the house were well known prior to the development starting. Previous minor archaeological investigations were undertaken as a means of defining a heritage curtilage around the remains, however the nature of the archaeological remains were unclear. “The house was thought to be a large Gentleman’s Manor” explains Karyn “We needed to know if it was the location of prominent and relevant moments of history”. Based on Karyn’s extensive experience, she wasn’t so sure.

Due to the permit conditions and the cost of archaeology, ELAs excavation was  limited, but once Karyn and the team had the chance to get a more thorough look and fill in the gaps, they discovered more information that contradicted the previous assessments and clarified how small and simple the house actually was. It was discovered that the property was granted to William Cordeaux in 1821. The house was a two storey Georgian brick house, with a stone flagged veranda front and rear, Doric columns, and French doors with a semi-circular fanlight.

Screen Shot 2020 05 21 At 3 39 45 Pm

[Leppington House photographed by the National trust (possibly 1930s) (Hughes 1999)]

The team unearthed buttons, marbles, pins, glass, ceramic and bone  which provided information about the living standards and range of activities associated with the multiple people living on the site. Karyn and the team discovered that Cordeaux was in fact a Public Servant who moved into farming which immediately changed the historical perspective of the remains. By analysing historical records regarding the site, the ELA team discovered that in 1828 the property was inhabited by not only the family but also an additional 31 staff 24 of which were convicts with roles such as shepherd, stockman, labourer, watchmen, groom, cook, bricklayer, carpenter, fencer, shoemaker, and like many large self-sufficient estates, Cordeaux also retained a blacksmith and overseer

So what’s the most interesting part to Karyn? “I like the process. What do we know and what don’t we? How can we understand the site better and how can we get that information?” she explains, clearly passionate about her chosen field. “What’s really important is that despite having a vaguely famous original owner, this was a place for the average person to live and get on with life. It wasn’t about the famous and the glorious. It was about the everyday and a lot of artefacts we uncovered reflected that.”

Thanks to Karyn and the team, the client now knows the history of the site isn’t a roadblock but a unique feature of the development and the future residents of Willowdale will know all about their new homes’ past life. 

Got a project that needs archaeological expertise? 
Contact Karyn:
Karyn McLeod
Principal Consultant and Archaeology and Heritage Lead 
02 8536 8673
karynm@ecoaus.com.au