6 February 2025 The Future is the Product of the Past

9,200-year-old Noongar habitation discovered at Augusta archaeological dig site

An archaeological dig in Augusta, in West Australia‘s South West, has uncovered evidence of Noongar habitation dating back an estimated 9,200 years.

Wadandi custodians led researchers to the site, a granite outcrop overlooking Flinders Bay in Augusta. Stone configurations and grooves consistent with methods of grinding stones to make implements were discovered during preliminary diggings.

Following the discovery of the site’s cultural importance, efforts were made to avoid additional deterioration caused by four-wheel-drive vehicles traveling over the region to access popular fishing spots.

Lead archeologist David Guilfoyle told the ABC that the initial dig site was limited to an area the size of a ‘telephone box’.

“We retrieved cultural objects and artifacts and organic material in conjunction that was sent to New Zealand for radiocarbon dating. We did get a result showing some of those cultural artifacts date back to 9,200 years ago.” Mr. Guilfoyle said.

Noongar habitation
Preliminary results have uncovered evidence of Noongar habitation in Augusta dating back 9,000 years.

Mr. Guilfoyle described the findings as significant, noting that they provided a chance to create a visual representation of the location and surrounding terrain.

Mr. Guilfoyle said the ocean was farther away back then, and people would live on this granite ridge, which overlooks a huge coastal plain that is nearly submerged today.

Augusta Margaret River County Sustainability Director Nick Logan said that although the temporary four-wheel drive track has been closed, the area around the site and the passage to Flinders Bay are still open to the public.

“What we are looking at is how access to the site can best be managed into the future,” he said.

“There is certainly a level of significance in the area and we have a really good idea about what the values of the site are for the traditional owners.”

Related Articles

Archaeologists Discovered Submerged Stoa Complex in Ancient Salamis, Greece

27 October 2023

27 October 2023

Archaeologists exploring the east coast of Salamis, the largest Greek island in the Saronic Gulf, discovered a large, long, and...

Stone-arched tunnel discovered near Achaemenid dam in southern Iran

4 February 2022

4 February 2022

A cultural heritage protection team has recently discovered a stone-arched tunnel located near an Achaemenid embankment dam in southern Iran....

Archaeologists discover a new megalithic monument in heart of Andalusia in southern Spain – 5,000-year-old secret

5 May 2023

5 May 2023

Archaeologists in Spain uncovered a previously overlooked tomb while investigating the formation of La Peña de los Enamorados, also known...

Archaeologists Find the Missing Link of the Alphabet

15 April 2021

15 April 2021

Researchers believe that Tel Lachish pottery is the oldest of its kind found in the region, and could explain how...

Egypt Traces Relics of Ramses III to the Arabian Peninsula

7 June 2021

7 June 2021

Following various findings showing ancient Egyptian King Ramses III had a presence on the Arabian Peninsula, an Egyptian archaeological team...

Researchers use AI to read words on ancient Herculaneum scroll burned by Vesuvius

13 October 2023

13 October 2023

Researchers used artificial intelligence to extract the first word from one of the first texts in a charred scroll from...

A 3300-year-old seal and a dagger/sword reminiscent of Mycenaean swords were discovered in the Heart of western Anatolia

18 July 2022

18 July 2022

A unique 3300-year-old seal and a sword/dagger reminiscent of Mycenaean swords were unearthed during the excavations of Tavşanlı Höyük (Tavşanlı...

Ruins of the 700-year-old wharf, possibly used by royalty, found in Oslo

6 March 2023

6 March 2023

An excavation by NIKU archaeologists in Oslo’s seaside neighborhood of Bjørvika has uncovered the remains of a long section of...

Peru finds perfectly preserved a wooden figure in the Americas’ largest mud-brick city

29 June 2022

29 June 2022

A perfectly preserved wooden figure has been discovered at the Chan Chan archaeological site, in northern Peru, the Ministry of...

Archaeologists explore Eastern Zhou Dynasty mausoleum in China’s Henan

30 January 2022

30 January 2022

An archaeological survey of a royal mausoleum of the Eastern Zhou Dynasty (770 B.C.-256 B.C.) has been launched in central...

3 mummified skeletons were found in Iznik, western Turkey

8 October 2021

8 October 2021

Archaeologists discovered mummified skeletons dating from the 2nd century A.D. within two sarcophagi at the Hisardere Necropolis in Bursa’s Iznik...

Archaeologists Discovered a Mysterious Ancient Bone Floor in Alkmaar, the Netherlands

16 December 2024

16 December 2024

Archaeologists found a part of a floor made of animal bones in Alkmaar, North Holland, the Netherlands. Experts are intrigued...

New research reveals that Baltic amber was transported to the most westerly region of the continent more than 5,000 years ago

21 October 2023

21 October 2023

A team of scientists has identified the oldest pieces of Baltic amber ever found on the Iberian Peninsula, revealing that...

Urartian King Argishti’s shield reveals the name of an unknown country

30 January 2023

30 January 2023

The inscription on a bronze shield purchased by the Rezan Has Museum revealed the name of an unknown country. It...

Two Infant burials found under prehistoric “Dragon Stone” in Armenia

4 June 2024

4 June 2024

An international team of researchers has unearthed the remains of an adult woman and two infants buried under a basalt...