A few months ago, we had the privilege to visit Mungo National Park and walk on Country that nourished human life for at least 45,000 years. When you look around at the dry landscape, it is hard to imaging a time when this lake was full of water and the area was home to a thriving Aboriginal culture. A place where giant kangaroos and wombats grazed while children played at the waters edge. The sounds of Aboriginal children at play have now been silenced and the water long receded but we are slowly uncovering their stories and piecing together the history of this ancient land.
Those early humans probably followed a river from the coast to get here. Steve and I have driven a corrugated dirt road and our dust covered van is testament to that. It’s more than 20-years since I was last here so it’s special to be back, camping in this incredible National Park.
The middens that have been discovered hint of an area that was once full of life. About 32 million years ago the ocean had flooded the entire Murray Basin, including the 19 Willandra Lakes of which Mungo is one. As the climate warmed and cooled, these water levels fluctuated till the current semi-arid climate settled as the lakes dried up at the end of the last Glacial Maxima.
Most Australians know the story of the 18-year old Mungo woman. When these human remains were discovered in 1968 it redefined world history. She is the world’s oldest known human to have been ritually cremated and buried. In the 1970’s, a fully articulated skeleton—Mungo Man—was also found, just 500 metres from the burial place of Mungo woman and through radiocarbon dating we know these burials occurred between 40,000-42,000 years ago. These two discoveries are the oldest human remains found anywhere in Australia, and some of the earliest anatomically modern human remains discovered anywhere in the world. The evidence of ritual ceremonies indicate that an ancient complex culture had once thrived here.
The information centre exhibits says that the aggressive defence of their land by the Aboriginal people along the Darling is probably one of the clearest demonstrations that colonial settlement here was invasion. The drawings of Aboriginal artist Tommy McRae give us a glimpse of the vitality of their life and the customs that slowly disappeared. The squatters push for more land to meet the demand in Britain for wool and revenue for the new colony, resulted in the displacement and dislocation of Aboriginal people across western NSW.
Thankfully, this site is now on the World Heritage list. You can only access the lunettes through a tour and we totally enjoyed the insights we gleaned by choosing an indigenous guide. Although the Aboriginal people were pushed out of their traditional lands, their connection to Country and their ancestors remained. This was a very spiritual place for them and the discovery of ancient burial sites has also confirmed that for not just the scientific community but all Australians. The remnants of tools that were both made here and traded from areas further away are all indicators of the vibrant culture that once thrived here. A culture that had not just religion and trade but also assets and a social structure.
We know these lunettes hold many more secrets. As wind and rain take their toll on this landscape and archaeologist continue their diggings more insights into an ancient way of life will be revealed.