Lake Mungo is one of Australia 's richest archaeological, historical, cultural and scientific sites, providing evidence of human habitation in the area, as much as 50,000 years old, doubling the anthological history of Australia. The discovery of human remains records some of the earliest evidence of burial rituals including the first cremation and the world 's oldest ochre burial. Evidence also exists for the earliest Homo sapiens outside of Africa. Lake Mungo contains the world 's largest collection of fossilized human footprints. Evidence of diet, lifestyle and human adaptation to the changes in environment and climate lay amongst the lunettes at Lake Mungo.
Lake Mungo is the name of several archaeological sites located in western New South Wales, Australia. Part of the Willandra lakes system, once a vast system of freshwater lakes, today a Pleistocene dry lake bounded on one side by lunettes. The lunettes bordering Lake Mungo called "The Walls of China" formed during alternating phases of lake levels. Following the cessation of flow to the Lake the lunette sediments where influenced by climatic changes.
Under the dry arid conditions, it became a salt lake, consequently turning the soil alkaline preserving …show more content…
(Webb, Cupper & Robins 2006). Consisting of at least 124 prints, they have been optically dated between 19,000 to 23,000 years old. (Renfrew and Bahn 2012, 435). Biomechanical analysis has shown men, women and children of varying ages made these tracks. Detailed imprints have recorded features of foot morphology including separate toe prints, heal, ball and medial arch structures. Foot size and pace length suggest several of the men were of large stature, approaching two metres tall and were able to achieve high running speeds, the probable statue is consistent with that of other remains found at Lake Mungo. (Webb, Cupper & Robins
Lake Mungo is the name of several archaeological sites located in western New South Wales, Australia. Part of the Willandra lakes system, once a vast system of freshwater lakes, today a Pleistocene dry lake bounded on one side by lunettes. The lunettes bordering Lake Mungo called "The Walls of China" formed during alternating phases of lake levels. Following the cessation of flow to the Lake the lunette sediments where influenced by climatic changes.
Under the dry arid conditions, it became a salt lake, consequently turning the soil alkaline preserving …show more content…
(Webb, Cupper & Robins 2006). Consisting of at least 124 prints, they have been optically dated between 19,000 to 23,000 years old. (Renfrew and Bahn 2012, 435). Biomechanical analysis has shown men, women and children of varying ages made these tracks. Detailed imprints have recorded features of foot morphology including separate toe prints, heal, ball and medial arch structures. Foot size and pace length suggest several of the men were of large stature, approaching two metres tall and were able to achieve high running speeds, the probable statue is consistent with that of other remains found at Lake Mungo. (Webb, Cupper & Robins