Australian Aboriginal Tools Estimated at 35,000 Years Old

SYDNEY - Aboriginal tools discovered in a limestone cave in northern Australia are thought to be more than 35,000 years old, deepening understanding of Australia’s original residents.

Eight tools made from kangaroo bone were excavated from Riwi Cave in the southern Kimberley region of Western Australia by archaeologists in the early 1990s. The work was supported by the local Mimbi Aboriginal community. Modern dating techniques have now estimated the carved tools are between 35,000 and 46,000 years old. It would make them the oldest artifacts of their type found in Australia. They were crafted from kangaroo bones to make a range of implements, including spears to hunt birds and fish. The bones could also have been used to make resin as a glue to affix handles onto tools.