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Archaeologists from the Australian Museum, the University of Sydney and The Australian National University (ANU), in collaboration with First Nations community members who hold cultural connections with the Blue Mountains, have unearthed 693 stone artifacts dating from the last ice age to the recent past.

Found in an ancient Blue Mountains cave known as Dargan Shelter, this new evidence provides definitive proof of repeated occupation in this once frozen high-altitude landscape. The research is in Nature Human Behaviour.

Dating back 20,000 years, when the upper reaches of the Blue Mountains were treeless and seasonally frozen over, Dargan Shelter at 1,073 m elevation is believed to be the oldest occupied high-altitude landscape in Australia. Until now, researchers thought the Australian high country was too difficult to occupy during the last ice age. However, the new archaeological results provide the first evidence of repeated human activity and adaption to periglacial environments on the Australian continent.

Gomeroi knowledge holder and First Nations Mentor in archaeology at the University of Sydney, Wayne Brennan, a rock art specialist, initiated the research to bring scientists and the community together to explore the cultural history of the Blue Mountains and improve conservation outcomes for this important cultural landscape.

Brennan, lead author Dr. Amy Mosig Way, who holds joint positions at the Australian Museum and the University of Sydney, and Associate Professor Duncan Wright from ANU, worked closely with First Nations members from the Dharug, Wiradjuri, Dharawal, Gomeroi, Wonnarua, and Ngunnawal groups, who hold traditional connections to this region.

Dr. Way said the research indicates that First Nations' ancestors were able to navigate and occupy high-altitude periglacial environments.

"This new evidence now aligns Australia with global data showing that glacial landscapes were not necessarily natural barriers to early human movement and occupation," she said.

"Until now, we thought the Australian high country was too difficult to occupy during the last ice age. Yet, despite the harsh conditions, our research demonstrates people were moving in and through this high elevation landscape, which is approximately 400m above the treeline."

Second author, Professor Philip Piper from ANU, said the excavations uncovered an incredible depositional sequence of in situ human activity, including hearth features.

"It was the excellent state of preservation that enabled us to construct such a robust chronology for Dargan Cave spanning the last 20,000 years," Professor Piper said.

Co-author and ANU Ph.D. candidate Emily Nutman said Dargan Shelter also preserves evidence of how people moved across the landscape in the deep past.

"By analyzing the chemical signatures of stone artifacts from Dargan, we can see people moving from the Hunter Valley and the Jenolan caves region to Dargan shelter, demonstrating that people were traveling significant distances across the mountains to reach Dargan during the height of the last ice age," she said.

First Nations custodians, authors of the research paper, and proud Dharug women, Leanne Watson Redpath and Erin Wilkins, explained that their communities have lived in the Blue Mountains for thousands of years.

"Our people have walked, lived and thrived in the Blue Mountains for thousands of years, and we knew the cave was there. It is not only a tangible connection to our ancestors who used it as a meeting place for sharing, storytelling and survival, but it is also a part of our cultural identity. We need to respect and protect our heritage for the benefit of all Australians," Watson Redpath explained.

"While there's no certain way of identifying which groups accessed the mountains in the deep past, it is likely that multiple groups were connected to this country. Today, Dargan Shelter is considered by local custodians to represent a family space of high cultural significance," Wilkins added.

"The Blue Mountains is a UNESCO World Heritage-listed site for the protection of flora and fauna, but there are no safeguards for our cultural heritage. We hope that by combining our traditional knowledge with scientific research, we can protect these invaluable storehouses of our history for generations to come," Brennan added.

Dr. Way said the study builds on research conducted by Australian Museum archaeologists, beginning with Frederick McCarthy in 1935 and most recently Dr. Val Attenbrow, and augments previous findings and collections within the Australian Museum. The exact location of the cave will remain unidentified to protect its cultural significance.

Associate Professor Wright added, "This project adds a crucial piece to the broader archaeological puzzle. It reveals that people inhabited glacial terrains during the last ice age—a period typically associated with coastal refuges."

"Additionally, it offers rare and valuable insights into the early settlement of southeast Australia, a region that remains underrepresented in published archaeological accounts despite being the most densely populated part of the country today."