Artifacts Discovered in 20k-Year-Old Ice Age Cave Could Rewrite Human History

The discovery of 693 stone artifacts in a 20,000-year-old ice cave named Dargan Shelter in Australia’s Blue Mountains reveals that ancient indigenous people lived and thrived in extremely high altitudes during the last ice age.

Started by First Nations knowledge holders in collaboration with Archaeologists from the Australian Museum, the University of Sydney and the Australian National University, the discovery of human occupation over a 20,000-year span in an ice age ice cave over 400 meters above the tree line could rewrite the history of human adaptation and survival during the last ice age.

20,000-Year-Old Ice Cave Joins Knowledge Holders and Scientists

According to Watson Redpath, a First Nations custodian, proud Dharug woman, and co-author of the research paper detailing the discovery, the presence of a cave high in the mountains that various local peoples had occupied over the millennia was already part of the indigenous knowledge passed down through the generations, if not the exact origin dating back 20,000 years.

“Our people have walked, lived, and thrived in the Blue Mountains for thousands of years, and we knew the cave was there,” she said. “It is not only a tangible connection to our ancestors who used it as a meeting place for sharing, storytelling, and survival, but is a part of our cultural identity.”

Artist impression of the ancient Ice Age cave in the Blue Mountains. Painting by Dharug artist Leanne Watson Redpath.

Hoping to study the enclosure closer to determine a date of first occupation and preserve the cultural history of the generations who have loved and shared the Blue Mountains, Gomeroi knowledge holder and First Nations mentor in archaeology at the University of Sydney, Wayne Brennan, who is a rock art specialist, teamed up with Dr. Amy Mosig Way, who holds a joint position as archaeologist at the Australian Museum and lecturer in Archaeology at the University of Sydney.

 Excavations Reveal Signs of Continuous Occupation Over Millennia

Working closely with First Nations members from the Dharug, Wiradjuri, Dharawal, Gomeroi, Wonnarua, and Ngunnawal groups, who hold traditional connections to the region, the researchers excavated several stone artifacts from the cave. According to the team’s study, 693 human artifacts, ranging from cutting and scraping tools to a sandstone grinding slab, were retrieved.

Hammerstone made of exotic black quartzite, unique to the Late Pleistocene assemblage at Dargan Shelter. The black quartzite was geochemically matched to river pebbles in the Hunter Valley, approximately 150km to the north of the site. It was found in Layer 10, which dated to 15,000 years ago. Image Credit: University of Sydney

The researchers believe the sandstone slab may have been used to shape wooden artifacts like needles, awls, or bone spear points, even though the wooden artifacts would have almost surely disappeared thousands of years earlier. Second author of the paper, Professor Philip Piper from the School of Archaeology and Anthropology at the Australian National University, said the excavations also uncovered an “incredible depositional sequence” of activity in Dragan Shelter, including “hearth features.”

After analyzing the artifacts and performing several tests, the team determined that the oldest artefacts retrieved from a remote ice cave at 1073m elevation were 20,000 years old. The researchers believe the well-preserved artifacts spanning millennia aided in the timeline’s construction.

“It was the excellent state of preservation that enabled us to construct such a robust chronology for Dargan Shelter spanning the last 20,000 years,” Professor Piper said.

The researchers say this date goes against previous estimates of human occupation at extremely high altitudes, especially during the last ice age. If confirmed, the team says the date would make Dragan Shelter “the oldest occupied high-altitude landscape in Australia.” Dr Way said this evidence would align Australia with global data indicating the frozen landscapes of the last ice age “were not necessarily natural barriers to early human movement and occupation.”

“Until now, we thought the Australian high country was too difficult to occupy during the last Ice Age,” Way said. “Yet, despite the harsh conditions, our research demonstrates people were moving in and through this high elevation landscape, which is approximately 400m above the tree line.”

Prioritizing the Preservation of Cultural Heritage at Dargan Shelter

Brenna says efforts to preserve the ice cave are already underway. Still, he cautions that preservation is not guaranteed, and efforts to protect the cultural value of sites like Dragan Shelter will require help and resources.

“The Blue Mountains is a UNESCO World Heritage-listed site for the protection of flora and fauna, but there are no safeguards for our cultural heritage,” he said. “We hope that by combining our traditional knowledge with scientific research, we can protect these invaluable storehouses of our history for generations to come,” Brennan said.

First Nations custodian, proud Dharug woman, and study co-author Erin Wilkins agrees. She also said that trying to pin down the artifacts to any one group is less important than preserving their knowledge and cultural significance for future generations.

“While there’s no certain way of identifying which groups accessed the mountains in the deep past, it is likely that multiple groups were connected to this country,” she said. “Today, Dargan Shelter is considered by local custodians to represent a family space of high cultural significance.”

“We need to respect and protect our heritage for the benefit of all Australians,” Redpath added.

Christopher Plain is a Science Fiction and Fantasy novelist and Head Science Writer at The Debrief. Follow and connect with him on X, learn about his books at plainfiction.com, or email him directly at [email protected].