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Researchers have discovered remarkable proof confirming that some of Australia’s earliest caves were inhabited by people during the Ice Age.
Researchers discovered Ice Age artifacts within Dargan Shelter, a cave located 1,100 meters above sea level. NSW 'S Blue Mountains area — challenging longstanding beliefs about early human existence in Australia.
It is currently thought that Dargan Shelter may be the earliest known location at an elevated height showcasing recurrent human presence and adjustment to environmental conditions on the Australian mainland.
The cave has a height of approximately 25 metres, a width of 22 metres, and a depth of roughly 20 metres.
As many as 693 stone artifacts were discovered, which include various stone tools and a sandstone grinding slab potentially utilized for crafting wooden objects or bone tips for spears.
The findings date back as early as 20,000 years and came to light after the team excavated over two meters deep into the frozen strata of the location.
Researchers from the Australian Museum, the University of Sydney, and the Australian National University, together with Indigenous community participants, conducted three excavation projects between April 2022 and March 2023.
Wayne Brennan, a Gomeroi knowledge keeper and mentor for Indigenous Australians in archaeology at the University of Sydney, started the research initiative.
Mr. Brennan and Dr. Amy Mosig Way, an archaeologist at the Australian Museum and the lead author of the study, stated that the findings showed First Nation ancestors traversed and inhabited elevated regions during the Ice Age.
'Till now, we believed that the Australian highlands were too challenging to inhabit during the last ice age,' Dr Way stated in a university newsletter from the University of Sydney.
Nevertheless, even under severe circumstances, our study shows that individuals were migrating through and settling in this elevated terrain, located roughly 400 meters above the treeline.
The artifacts were maintained in an 'outstanding condition of preservation'. The team assessed the age of these items by comparing them with charcoal samples retrieved from ancient hearths located at the same depth.
Using this technique, the researchers concluded that the sandstone grinding slab featuring linear grooves was utilized over 13,000 years ago.
Researchers likewise discovered a rock thought to have served as an axe.
The analysis demonstrated that the basalt fragment was utilized to break open tough seeds or nuts approximately 9,000 years ago.
The First Nations caretakers and proud Dharug women, Leanne Watson Redpath and Erin Wilkins, stated that this finding represented a concrete link to their forebears.
Ms Wilkins mentioned that although it’s impossible to determine which specific groups visited the site during the Ice Age, it is probable that various groups used the cave regularly.
She mentioned that local custodians view the Dargan Shelter as embodying a family area of 'great cultural importance'.
Mr. Brennan expressed his hope that this finding would aid in safeguarding the cultural heritage of Indigenous peoples.
The Blue Mountains, a UNESCO World Heritage site recognized for safeguarding plants and animals, doesn’t have similar protections for our cultural heritage, he pointed out.
'We aim to safeguard these irreplaceable reservoirs of our heritage for future generations by merging our ancestral wisdom with modern scientific inquiry.'
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