Keilor archaeological site facts for kids

The Keilor archaeological site is a very important place in Australia. It was one of the first sites to show how long Aboriginal people have lived on the continent. In 1940, a cranium (part of a human skull) was found there. Scientists later discovered it was nearly 15,000 years old! Even older discoveries were made later, like ancient campfires from about 31,000 years ago. This makes Keilor one of the oldest places where humans lived in Australia. Scientists also found bones of huge, ancient animals called megafauna at the site. This suggests that Aboriginal people might have hunted these giant creatures.

Where is the Keilor Site?

The Keilor site is located in Victoria, Australia. It's found where two waterways meet: Dry Creek and the Maribyrnong River. This spot is about 1.5 kilometers north of the town of Keilor, Victoria.

The site was first discovered because old artifacts started appearing in sand quarries nearby. Also, the riverbanks were eroding more quickly. This erosion was happening because of water runoff from the Tullamarine Airport, which had recently opened.

How the Site Was Found and Explored

The famous Keilor cranium was found in October 1940 by a person named James White. He was digging in a sand pit near the Maribyrnong River.

Later, in the 1960s and 1970s, an archaeologist named Sandor Gallus realized how important the river terraces (the flat areas along the river) were. He led teams from different groups, like the Archaeological Society of Victoria and La Trobe University, to dig and explore the site. They focused on the deeper layers of soil, where the oldest things were found.

Figuring Out the Age of the Finds

Scientists used a method called radiocarbon dating to figure out the age of the Keilor cranium. They found it was between 12,000 and 14,700 years old.

In 1953, another scientist, Edmund Dwen Gill, confirmed the cranium's age to be about 14,700 years old. Even more exciting, in 1971, Sandor Gallus found an ancient campfire. Charcoal from this campfire was dated to about 31,000 years ago! This discovery proved that Keilor was one of the very first places where people lived in Australia.

Bones of extinct megafauna (giant animals that are no longer alive) were also found at the site. Some scientists think these bones might be as recent as 20,000 years old. The Keilor site is still important for understanding why these huge animals disappeared.

What the Remains Look Like

When the cranium and a few bone fragments were found, they were covered in a hard, crusty layer. At first, the cranium was thought to be very large and strong.

However, later studies compared the Keilor cranium to other ancient and modern Aboriginal skulls. Some research suggested that ancient Australian skulls, including Keilor, were generally larger than more recent ones. But other studies concluded that the Keilor cranium actually fit within the size range of modern Aboriginal women's skulls.

Discussions About Early Australians

When the Keilor cranium was discovered, scientists were debating how the first people arrived in Australia. One idea was that different groups of people came in waves, leading to the different appearances seen in people today.

One early study suggested that the Keilor cranium had features of both "Australoid" and "Tasmanoid" people. However, this idea was later challenged. Most scientists now believe that the Keilor cranium and the people of Tasmania were part of the same general population from southeastern Australia.

Protecting the Site

In 1976, the government bought the land where the Keilor site is located. This was done to protect the area because it's so important for understanding Aboriginal history and the local geology. This was one of the first big efforts to protect Aboriginal archaeological sites in Victoria.

Even though scientists from the Victoria Archaeological Survey and La Trobe University continued to dig at the site between 1978 and 1981, they still couldn't fully answer some big questions. For example, they wanted to know more about how humans and megafauna interacted.

There were plans to build a center at the site for education, but these plans were stopped. This was due to problems with soil erosion and the ground not being stable enough. Currently, there are no plans for more digging or research at the site. It is managed by Aboriginal Affairs Victoria to ensure its protection.