Standing stones: An unrecorded form of stone arrangement from the Jawoyn lands of the Arnhem Land Plateau

Undertaken as part of the Jawoyn Rock Art and Heritage Project, a form of stone arrangement not previously documented in Arnhem Land was found to occur at many recorded site complexes. These 'standing stones', or plaques, are flat slabs of unmodified sandstone, typically measuring ca 60 x 40 cm, that have been deliberately erected in a nearvertical position. While most are visually prominent, others are in very inconspicuous locations. The function of these stones is unknown, but it seems likely that they acted as a form of marker. This paper provides a preliminary analysis of the size, placement and context of a sample of this particular type of stone arrangement.