Juukan Gorge, Sacred canyon in Pilbara region, Western Australia.
Juukan Gorge is an archaeological site in a canyon within the red sandstone cliffs of the Hamersley Range near Tom Price in Western Australia's Pilbara region. The site contains several rock shelters and caves that held evidence of occupation across different time periods.
The site shows continuous human occupation over around 46,000 years, with archaeological excavations uncovering tools and artifacts from the last Ice Age. This makes the gorge one of the oldest continuously inhabited places in Australia.
The Puutu Kunti Kurrama and Pinikura peoples maintain deep connections to this land through the objects their ancestors left behind, including plaited hair and grinding stones. These remains tell stories of daily life and generations of people who lived here.
Access requires permission from traditional owners and mining authorities since the site lies about 60 kilometers from Tom Price. Visitors should contact local authorities ahead of time to arrange visits and understand current conditions at the location.
The destruction of this site in 2020 through blasting led to major reforms in Australian laws protecting Aboriginal heritage. This event also shifted how the mining industry approaches archaeological sites and community consultation.
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