Australia: The Land Where Time Began

A biography of the Australian continent 

Newman Shelter, Ethel Gorge The Pilbara, Western Australia

18 km to the northeast is Ethel Gorge, close to the east side of the Fortescue River, gave a date near its base of 26 300 BP. These are conservative dates for occupation, because neither excavation continued to bedrock or barren layers.

Both rock shelters were occasionally occupied before 20,000 years ago. The Fortescue River only flows after heavy rain and normally present along its upper reaches, and in the gorges in the Hamersley National Park. Some regard the Hamersley Ranges as a refuge area. At the present there is no evidence of continuity of occupation during the most recent glacial maximum, about 18 000-15 000 years BP. See Aboriginal Occupation of Greater Australia

Sources & Further reading

1. Flood, Josephine, 2004, Archaeology of the Dreamtime, JB Publications.