Program: 12,000 Years of First Nations Ritual

Archaeological evidence for what could be the oldest known culturally transmitted human ritual has been discovered in Australia. Sticks found preserved in fireplaces in a cave that dates back to about the end of the Last Ice Age indicate that the ritual intended to cure or hurt has been passed down for roughly 500 generations. 

Professor Bruno David from Monash Indigenous Studies Centre, Monash University and Uncle Russell Mullett, GunaiKurnai Land and Waters Aboriginal Corporation, have both worked on the project as part of a Traditional Owner-led partnership. They joined Philip Clark on Nightlife to reveal their archaeological excavation findings.