Revolutionary technology uncovers ancient Australian landscape.

Scientists at Flinders University have used sub-surface imaging and aerial surveys to map the Red Lily Lagoon area of West Arnhem Land in Northern Australia, revealing how the landscape was altered as sea levels rose about 8,000 years ago. The findings have important implications for understanding the archaeological record of Madjedbebe—the oldest archaeological site in Australia—and provide a new way to understand the rock art in the region. By examining how sediments now buried beneath the flood plains changed as sea levels rose, the researchers can see how the transformation of Red Lily Lagoon had resulted in the growth of mangroves that have supported animal and marine life in a region where ancient Indigenous rock art is located.