The first radiometric Pleistocene dates for Aboriginal occupation at Weld Range, inland Mid West, Western Australia

Abstract

We present the results of radiometric dating at Yalibirri Mindi Rockshelter located in the Weld Range, Mid West region, Western Australia. A sequence of three Pleistocene dates from charcoal found in association with flaked stone artefacts and with a basal date of 29,089 ± 132 years uncal. BP (D-AMS 009920) provides the first evidence for Pre-Last Glacial Maximum occupation of the inland Mid West. Sedimentological analyses strongly support the anthropogenic origin of the dated material. Despite hints that the occupation of this region probably dates back tens of thousands of years, until now there was no clear evidence for this. At the level of regional significance and as previously hypothesised, the greenstone ridges of the Mid West provide good potential for Pleistocene-aged rockshelter deposits and the possibility of researching crucial aspects of human adaptation to the western arid zone of Australia from ∼30,000 years ago including mobility, seasonality, technology, ochre use, selection of wood taxa for fire-making and intra- and inter-regional social networks.