Scientists examining an ancient Aboriginal site are split over whether charred rocks and weather-worn shells are 120,000-year-old evidence of Indigenous life.
Scientists examining an ancient Aboriginal site at Warrnambool in south-west Victoria are split over whether charred rocks and weather-worn shells are 120,000-year-old evidence of Indigenous life.
Famed Lake Mungo geologist Jim Bowler, now in his 90s, is convinced the evidence found at Moyjil indicates that humans were cooking and eating at the site 120,000 years ago. Meanwhile, Gunditjmara man John Clarke says according to his cultural beliefs, his people have been in this part of the world forever.At the heart of the research are some charred rocks that might once have been part of a cooking hearth used by Gunditjmara people, and some shells that could be evidence of their early diet.
The Moyjil site has long been of interest to scientists, and has been the subject of a study by Professor McNiven, Deakin University's Dr John Sherwood, Federation University's Dr Stephen Carey, and Dr Bowler, who is a professorial fellow with the University of Melbourne. Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Australian Biodiversity and Heritage director Bert Roberts said Moyjil wasn't a "standard" archaeological site because it lacked obvious signs of human activity, such as stone tools."I don't have an issue with the age but the question is, what are we actually dating?" he said.
Those blackened stones — which some members of the team believe have been fractured by being repeatedly burnt — the discarded shells and the charcoal are at the centre of the research project. "It's either two quite bizarre explanations — wildfire and seabirds — or it's one simple explanation, which is humans.This layer of sand at Moyjil has been dated at 120,000 years old and contains shells and charcoal.
"In saying that, when we speak to other Aboriginal people about Country we never speak about the antiquity of any place because it doesn't really matter," he said. He said the evidence at Moyjil showed humans were there at least 120,000 years ago — a conclusion he described as "terrifying" to declare publicly.
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