Kow Swamp
Exhibit Item
Site:
Kow Swamp, Australia
Year of Discovery:
Discovered by:
Alan Thorne and Phillip Macumber
Age:
About 13,000 - 9,000 years old
Species:
Homo sapiens
Modern humans reach Australia
Although archaeological evidence dates back to at least 50,000 years ago, the oldest known human skeletal remains in Australia are about 40,000 years old. They show a light build that differs from later, more rugged skulls like this 13,000 - 9,000 year old Homo sapiens skull from Kow Swamp. This could mean that there were two separate migrations of humans to Australia.
The shape of this skull also reflects cultural head compression during the individual's lifetime.
