Primitive Tools Uncovered on Australia Mine Site
Posted on: Monday, 7 April 2008, 10:40 CDT
Archaeologists discovered a collection of ancient tools thought to be about 35,000 years old on the site of Hope Downs iron ore mine.Valued at just over $1 billion, Hope Downs is one of Australia’s largest iron ore mines, but some archaeologists feel the site should be preserved due to its apparent historic importance.
"We have always known this is an important part of our history, that our ancestors lived here," said Slim Parker, a senior elder of the local Martidja Banyjima people.
"Our stories and songs tells us this. It is a good feeling to know archaeologists have proved what we say is true. It makes us feel strong. Now we want this place preserved. It is part of our heritage and our culture," Parker said.
The tools were found in a rock overhang . Archaeologist consultant Neale Draper said the Hope Downs site could contain more material up to 40,000 years old. Carbon dating tests were used to date the materials.
U.S. archaeologist W. Boone Law agrees.
"The oldest-dated stone artifacts are a core, and associated flakes that have a radiocarbon age estimate of 35,000 years," Law said.
Indigenous landowners are already engaged in discussions with the mine’s operators: Rio Tinto, the world's second-biggest ore miner, and Hancock Prospecting.
Aborigines had lived in the region for more than 1,000 generations. Landowners are demanding that certain areas be protected from mining.
"We've been talking to them about altering the mine plan and I think have reached a tentative understanding to do that. It's off to the side of an expansion to the Hope Downs mine," said a Rio Tinto spokesman.
"In terms of any impact on the mine, it's rather hypothetical at this stage. We've reached a tentative understanding. There is not an actual mine there yet."
Scientists hope that further research at the Hope Downs site could shed light on how Aborigines adjusted to climate changes.
---
Image Caption: An Aboriginal Stone tool (chert knife), discovered in excavations at the Djadjiling rock shelter at a Pilbara minesite in Western Australia, is seen a photo released Monday. A large cache of stone tools estimated to be up to 35,000 years old has been discovered at the site of one of Australia's largest iron ore mines, sparking calls for the site's preservation.
---
On the Net:
Rio Tinto
Source: redOrbit Staff and Wire Reports
Related Articles
- CareerTours, a New Interactive Recruiting Web Site, Launches 1,000 New Job Boards and Expands Company Network of Partners
- Presidential Hopefuls Boil Down Pitches
- Bechtel Expanding Alumina Refinery in Australia for Rio Tinto
- Netflix's Stock, Web Site Both Go Down
- Citizen Journalism Site to Shut Down
- Silver Dragon Identifies 612,000 Tonne Ore Reserve Containing Ag-Pb-Zn Deposits From Initial Exploration Work at Dadi, China
- Wi-Fi TV Will Finance Anyone to Buy a Wi-Fi TV Channel With As Little As $2,000 Down in Effort to Make MySpace Dead Space and YouTube What Tube
- Heroin-Related Deaths Down in Australia
- Optus Expands Its Gilat SkyEdge Broadband Satellite Network to Thousands of New Sites Across Rural and Remote Australia and New Zealand; Network Expansion Will Serve Corporate Users and Consumer Broadband Services Throughout Australia
- Latest AIDS/HIV Victims Put at 650,000, Down By About 20%
Rating: 3.4 / 5 (10 votes)
 |
 |
Rate this article:
User Comments (0)
RSS Feeds