Australia is endowed with so many things that even a lifetime would not be enough to see them all. Besides the gorgeous mountains, interesting animals, and picturesque shorelines, the ancient history that can be found in this country is fascinating. For visitors, it is a good feeling to know that one is standing on the land that hosted some of the oldest humans approximately 50,000 years ago. This ancient human occupation also means one will find some of the oldest inhabited places in the world. All these facts have made the country a place of an abundance of archaeological sites and these are some of the most popular.

8 Ubirr, Kakadu National Park

Apparently, ancient humans were lovers of art as they have been known for creating some interesting artworks some of which can be found in Ubirr, Kakadu National Park. Looking at some of these carvings makes one imagine what the earth was like when these carvings were made tens of thousands of years ago. This was even before the time of the Egyptians or the Romans. The earth must have indeed been different from what is seen today.

7 Mungo National Park, New South Wales

Mungo National Park is not just a place to see the unique landscape of Australia, it is also a place to see some of the handworks of the people who inhabited this land a long time ago. Artifacts have been discovered here, many of which date to over 50,000 years ago and indicate that this was one of the ancient settlements of the Aboriginal people. The Mungo Man, one of the oldest remains of humans in Australia, was discovered in a dry lake within the park. The remains are estimated to be approximately 40,000 years old and so much controversy surround this archaeological finding.

6 Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park, Northern Territory Of Australia

Australia is a land of natural wonders and Uluru is one of the best places to see this. The park is known for its numerous unique rock formations as well as its deeply spiritual presence. The park is important to the Anangu people who inhabited the area for more than 20,000 years. A cultural center is located within the park where one can learn more about the ancient Anangu people. Besides the ancient human history to see here, another epic thing to do in this park is visit at sunrise and sunset to see the unique colors surrounding the area during these times.

5 Kariong Hieroglyphs, New South Wales

Kariong Hieroglyphs are a set of carvings of different unique shapes that may be important information passed down from one generation to another. Also known as Gosford Glyphs, these Egyptian-style Heiroglyphs located in Brisbane Water National Park, New South Wales were first discovered in the 1970s and so many unverified claims surround them. Some believe they were created approximately 4,500 years ago by Egyptians who came to the region. Others believe the inscriptions were either carved by locals living in the area or by soldiers in the early 20th century who were probably inspired by the uncovering of King Tutankhamun’s Tomb in Egypt.

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4 Devil’s Lair, Western Australia

Caves are numerous in Australia but not all of them are as significant as Devil’s Lair. This cave is made up of several layers where lots of plant and animal remains have been discovered by scientists. Stone artifacts and human remains have also been excavated here suggesting the presence of humans in the cave. Some of the findings date to more than 10,000 years ago and the oldest finding to approximately 40,000 years ago making it one of the earliest human settlements in Australia.

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3 Wilpena Pound, South Australia

Wilpena Pound is a 95,000 hectares area in Flinders Ranges National Park. This area is approximately 800 million years old and is rich in aboriginal history as well as impressive mountain ranges that form a natural amphitheater. According to the Adnyamathanha (the traditional owners of the place), this area is known as Ikara which translates to “Meeting Place.” Visitors here have lots of things to enjoy including hiking and camping, as well as joining a tour for an educational walk to the Sacred Canyon where the rock engravings and significance of the site will be explained in detail.

2 Koonalda Cave, South Australia

Located in South Australia, Koonalda Cave features an interesting collection of patterns and unique designs dating to approximately 20,000 years ago. Much of the engravings are finger-drawn lines crossing other lines and creating no recognizable image. According to archaeological findings, the aboriginal people had mined Flint in this cave.

1 Madjedbebe Rock Shelter, Northern Territory Of Australia

The oldest evidence of human habitation in Australia can be found in the Madjedbebe Rock shelter. A wide variety of artifacts such as - rock axes, seashells, animal bones, as well as rock art has been uncovered in this rock shelter since its discovery in the 1970s. These artifacts have been studied and have now brought many experts to the conclusion that this site was inhabited by humans about 50,000 years ago or as far back as 65,000 years (according to recent estimates).