How did some historians challenge the description of Aboriginal peoples as only hunter-gatherers?

It has long been a conventional view that Australian Aboriginal peoples were exclusively hunter-gatherers who did not domesticate animals or cultivate crops. However, some historians and archaeologists in the 21st century have challenged this characterization.12

These scholars argue that there is evidence suggesting Aboriginal peoples practiced forms of agriculture and aquaculture that were too sophisticated to be defined simply as hunting and gathering. By highlighting these practices, these researchers aim to address the traditional viewpoint that often contrasted the complexity of Aboriginal social and religious life with the perceived simplicity of their material technologies. This evolving perspective encourages a more nuanced understanding of how Indigenous Australians interacted with and managed their environments prior to European settlement.12