Deep History of Australia: Country, Communities, and Living Heritage
Southwestern Australia · Perfil con revisión de fuentes

Devil's Lair and southwestern archaeological sequences

Devil's Lair (archaeological site label)

This southwestern sequence illustrates how improved dating can change an archaeological account. Stone objects, organic preservation, and the history of museum research must be read alongside the limits of individual samples.

Archaeological chronology and museum-research context Late Pleistocene to Holocene; early occupation approximately 48,000 calibrated years ago in the 2001 study Stone objects, charcoal, sedimentary context, radiocarbon pretreatment, and independent luminescence or other chronological comparisons. Margaret River town public regional orientation, not the cave; approximate public-institution or regional orientation point only, never a territorial, ethnic, linguistic, cultural, maritime, sovereignty, native-title, or modern national boundary. Not the location of burials, restricted knowledge, excavation trenches, or permission to enter Country.
Resumen

Evidencias e historias locales

Paisajes y conexiones cambiantes

The southwestern landscape and its resources changed through glacial and later environments. One cave does not represent all coastal or inland households.

Organización social y escala comunitaria

An excavated cave does not identify a named regional capital or one political community lasting across its entire sequence.

Patrimonio vivo, transformación posterior y conservación

The collection uses a historical excavation label, not a replacement for living Noongar place knowledge or custodianship. No access permission or personal ancestry inference follows.

Chronology Early ages were reassessed

The 2001 study used improved pretreatment and independent checks to support a deeper occupation chronology.

Source review: 2026-10-20 [S1]
Method Contamination is not a minor detail

The dating review compares successful and unreliable samples rather than assuming every charcoal fragment dates deposition.

Source review: 2026-10-20 [S2]
Research history Museum work shaped the surviving record

The museum's account describes Merrilees's role in the excavation and study of regional fauna and archaeology.

Source review: 2026-10-20 [S3]
Secuencia histórica

Una cronología breve y documentada

Estos hitos sirven de orientación y no constituyen una historia completa.

  1. Occupation leaves a material sequence

    Deposits include cultural evidence later examined with several dating approaches.

  2. Preservation and contamination affect samples

    Chemical processes change what a measurement can securely date.

  3. Museum excavation and analysis

    The museum's research history places the excavation within a particular institutional period.

  4. Improved chronological study

    Radiocarbon pretreatment and independent methods support reassessment of early occupation.

Cultura e idioma

Alimentación, artesanía, paisajes y conocimientos

Idiomas mencionados en este perfil

  • Earlier spoken languages cannot be identified from these archaeological objects alone.

Familia lingüística: Language relationships require dated linguistic evidence; material styles are not language families or biological populations.

Revised charcoal treatment

Multiple chronological methods

Museum research history

Cited Traditional Owners, researchers, museums, governments, AIATSIS, and UNESCO did not author or endorse this atlas. These are original attributed summaries, not community-approved cultural knowledge or legal advice. No artifact, art, burial, sacred-site, or human-remains imagery is included. Respect Indigenous cultural and intellectual property, access restrictions, and community authority; use the site's contact channel for corrections or concerns.

Guía de investigación con IA

Pregunta sobre este perfil revisado

La guía puede explicar y relacionar hechos que ya aparecen en esta página. No puede buscar en la web abierta, establecer identidad ni ciudadanía, ni evaluar ascendencia o información genética.

Basada en el contenido aprobado del perfil Las citas utilizan los identificadores de fuentes de abajo Sin contexto de cuenta ni de ADN

No introduzcas nombres, datos de contacto, información del árbol genealógico, identificadores de cuenta o kit, ni datos genéticos.

Registro de pruebas

Fuentes utilizadas en esta página

Prioritize public Traditional Owner and community-controlled sources alongside accountable archaeological studies, museums, and heritage authorities. Compare dated evidence and interpretation rather than treat a heritage summary or one publication as an uncontested account.

  1. C1

    The AIATSIS Map of Indigenous Australia

    AIATSIS · Institutional heritage resource · Undated; accessed 2026-10-20

  2. C2

    Indigenous water

    Zena Cumpston; Australia State of the Environment · Indigenous-authored environmental synthesis · 2021

  3. C3

    AIATSIS Code of Ethics for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Research

    Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies · Indigenous research ethics framework · 2020

  4. C4
  5. C5

    Radiocarbon dating of human occupation of Australia prior to 40 ka BP: Successes and pitfalls

    Quaternary Science Reviews; University of California repository · Peer-reviewed dating study · 2001

  6. C6

    Mabuygiw Garkaziw Kupay Torres Strait Islander Corporation

    MGK, community-controlled organization · Institutional heritage resource · Undated; accessed 2026-10-20

  7. C7

    World Heritage

    Budj Bim Cultural Landscape Tourism, Gunditjmara owned · Institutional heritage resource · Undated; accessed 2026-10-20

  8. C8

    Brewarrina Aboriginal Fish Traps (Baiame's Ngunnhu)

    Australian Government, DCCEEW · National Heritage record · Updated 2026-03-19

  9. C9

    Walking in the footsteps of our ancestors

    Mungo National Park and Traditional Tribal Groups · Institutional heritage resource · Undated; accessed 2026-10-20

  10. C10

    Third anniversary of destruction at Juukan Gorge

    PKKP Aboriginal Corporation · Traditional Owner heritage statement · 2023-05

  11. S1

    Early human occupation at Devil's Lair, southwestern Australia 50,000 years ago

    ANU Research Portal; Quaternary Research · Peer-reviewed chronological study · 2001

  12. S2

    Radiocarbon dating of human occupation of Australia prior to 40 ka BP: Successes and pitfalls

    Quaternary Science Reviews; University of California repository · Peer-reviewed dating study · 2001

  13. S3

    Duncan Merrilees (1922-2009)

    Western Australian Museum · Museum research history · 2009

Las fuentes y los nombres siguen siendo propiedad de sus respectivos editores y comunidades. Se incluyen con fines de cita y educación; su inclusión no implica que avalen a DNAGENICS. Los resúmenes son paráfrasis editoriales originales y deben contrastarse con la fuente enlazada para usos importantes.

Revisión editorial: 20 octubre 2026