First Peoples and Rising Seas

Presented by Professor Chris Clarkson (Rock Art Australia Chair in Rock Art Archaeology at Griffith University), in partnership with the University of Sydney, this talk explores how and when the first people reached Australia, and how they responded to major environmental change.

Northern Australia, particularly Arnhem Land, preserves some of the richest rock art and longest archaeological records in the country. Sites such as Madjedbebe demonstrate human occupation by at least 65,000 years ago, providing a critical benchmark for understanding global human dispersal.

The landscapes these early populations inhabited were very different from today. During the last Ice Age (22-18,000 years ago), lower sea levels exposed a vast continental shelf linking northern Australia to New Guinea and extending toward Southeast Asia. As the climate warmed, rapid sea-level rise flooded this landscape, transforming coastlines over relatively short timescales. These changes likely reshaped population distribution, economies, technologies, and rock art traditions.

Current research in western Arnhem Land, supported by Rock Art Australia and conducted in partnership with Manilakarr Traditional Owners, Njanjma Rangers and the Northern Land Council, investigates how people adapted to these shifting environments using archaeological, environmental, and rock art evidence. The project is co-designed with Manilakarr Traditional Owners and contributes directly to their Healthy Country Plan through heritage documentation, ranger training, and development of long-term management strategies.

This lecture is free to attend, but booking is essential.