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Environment

Ancient Aboriginal rock art may reveal how Australia's climate changed

Murujuga in Western Australia holds more than 2 million engravings that have been added over at least 50,000 years - and may provide a glimpse into how the region's climate and vegetation have changed

By Alice Klein

27 July 2022

Rocks on Middle Gidley island in Murujuga, Western Australia, that typify the landscape

Rocks on Middle Gidley island in Murujuga, Western Australia, that typify the landscape

Alice Klein

“All our stories are written on these stones,” says Corey Adams, a traditional Aboriginal custodian of the Murujuga land we are standing on in Western Australia. He is showing me around the densest collection of ancient rock art in the world – more than 2 million engravings, or petroglyphs, that his ancestors have created since becoming the first people to set foot in Australia.

The collection has been added to for more than 50,000 years, making it the most…

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