Weaving Indigenous Songlines, Marine Geophysics and Archaeological Methods in the Survey of Submerged Prehistoric Landscapes along Australia's Eastern Coast

Ania Kotarba-Morley1*, Hannah Smith2, Bruce Carmody2

Rapid advances in marine geophysics are transforming the detection and mapping of submerged prehistoric landscapes across the Indo-Pacific. Yet, these approaches often remain epistemologically disconnected from Indigenous Traditional Knowledge systems that encode deep-time relationships with Sea Country. This paper presents results from the recent submerged landscapes survey conducted aboard the CSIRO RV Investigator, which sought to actively weave Indigenous songlines with high- resolution seabed mapping and archaeological investigation. Working in partnership with Ngambaa Traditional Owners, the project integrated multibeam bathymetry, sub-bottom profiling, and targeted ground-truthing using deep towed cameras system within an Indigenous-led interpretive framework. Rather than treating Indigenous knowledge as supplementary, it co-designed and structured survey design, feature prioritisation, and the interpretation of marine landscapes. This approach enabled the identification of culturally meaningful submerged features, including palaeochannels, relict shorelines, and potential occupation surfaces, reframed as lived and storied landscapes rather than purely geomorphological formations. We propose “weaving” as both a methodological and conceptual model for submerged landscape archaeology in the Indo-Pacific—one that recognises the co-production of knowledge across scientific and Indigenous domains. This has significant implications for reconstructing human–environment interactions, as well as for heritage governance in contexts of accelerating sea-level rise and climate change. By demonstrating the value of co-designed marine archaeological surveys, we are calling for a shift toward relational, place-based approaches to submerged cultural heritage.