top of page

An Adventure in Archaeology

For those who missed my talk at July's meeting, here's the story of my recent trip to the Simpson Desert, rediscovering what could be Australia's oldest village.



Because we are interested in the protection of a fragile environment, BIEPA members are usually open to shifts in perception and understanding of the natural world. Even when tangentially related to the environment, accounts that we can share from our experiences probably will be of interest to our fellow members. Such a story has come to me over the year June '21 to July '22.


It began when Dax, a son of ours, visited Bribie from England after living there for 20 years and badly missing home, seeking a deeply Australian experience. His arrival coincided with some work his brother Joff, an historian, was conducting around Birdsville in the Channel Country. He was with an expedition of archaeologists investigating a recently discovered arrangement of stones on Mithaka Country, between Birdsville, Bedourie and Windorah, an area the size of Belgium.


We joined them...


A Stunning Structure

Satellite and drone photography had revealed to custodians of the land, in company with an Archaeological Surveyor, this array of stones in a mysterious and beautiful pattern. And there were others around.



The visiting group included Prof. Peter Hiscocks (Professor of Archaeology, Sydney U), Asst. Professor Mike Westerway (U of Qld), 3 researchers, archaeological drone technicians, historian Joff and an anthropologist.




Intensive Industry with Settlements?