1,000-year-old burial reveals close bonds between people and dingoes

A remarkable archaeological discovery in New South Wales, Australia, has unearthed a thousand-year-old burial site of a dingo, known as garli in the Barkindji language. This significant find highlights the deep emotional bonds the Barkindji ancestors shared with these animals, as they honored the dingo with the same solemnity typically reserved for human burials. The burial, located near the Baaka, or Darling River, was first identified five years ago by Barkindji Elder Uncle Badger Bates and National Parks and Wildlife Service archaeologist Dan Witter. They observed bones emerging from a road cut in Kinchega National Park and quickly recognized them as belonging to a dingo, strategically positioned on its left side within a carefully constructed mound of river mussel shells. In response to concerns from the Menindee Aboriginal Elders Council about potential erosion threatening the site, a dedicated team of archaeologists collaborated with Barkindji elders to excavate and analyze the remains. Their findings revealed that the dingo was an elderly male, exhibiting signs of a challenging life, including worn teeth and indications of arthritis. The presence of both broken and healed bones suggested that he had received care from humans during his lifetime. Further examination of the burial mound indicated that the Barkindji people had not only buried the dingo with great care but had also maintained his grave for centuries. Generations of the community ritualistically added shells to the mound, signifying their ongoing respect and affection for the dingo long after its passing. While this is not the first dingo burial discovered in Australia, its location marks a significant extension of known burial practices, offering new insights into the profound and lasting relationship between ancient Australian peoples and dingoes, which may have been underestimated by outside researchers until now.