Koey Ngurtai: the emergence of a ritual domain in Western Torres Strait

Abstract

Koey Ngurtai is a small, uninhabited island located midway between the residential islands of Badu and Mahuyag in western Torres Strait. In 2003 and 2004, 100% surveys of the islet revealed 166 cultural sites. Fifty archaeological excavations were undertaken, revealing a rich history of islet use culminating with the emergence of Koey Ngurtai as a ritual centre after 550-700 cal BP, and a proliferation of ritual structures focused on dugong hunting magic after 350-550 cal BP. Shortly after the arrival of colonial powers in Torres Strait in the 1870s. including pearl shelling and missionary activity, Koey Ngurtai's ritual status was again transformed. This paper reports on these archaeological investigations and historicises Koey Ngurtai as a ritual land-and-seascape