Discovery of ancient Bogong moth remains at Cloggs Cave gives insight into Indigenous food practices
MonMonday 15
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MonMonday 15
Bogong moths migrate from as far as Queensland each year to alpine NSW and Victoria
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Cloggs Cave near Buchan, in eastern Victoria s alpine region, has long been known by the Gunaikurnai people, but a recent archaeological discovery has opened up a dusty window into more of its history.
Key points:
Researchers have discovered ancient Bogong moth remains on a grindstone tool believed to be up to 2,000 years old inside a cave at eastern Victoria
It is the first conclusive archaeological evidence of insect food remains found on a stone tool anywhere in the world
Two starkly different research projects 50 years apart in eastern Victoria at East Gippsland's Cloggs Cave, belonging to the Krauatungalung clan of the GunaiKurnai nation, show the importance of Indigenous perspectives in archaeology. Read more at Monash Lens.
Monash University
The first conclusive archaeological evidence of insects as a food source in Australia has been discovered by a group of archaeologists and traditional land owners.
Led by Monash University and the Gunaikurnai Land and Waters Aboriginal Corporation (GLaWAC), the researchers found food remains of Bogong moths on a stone tool in a cave in the foothills of the Australian Alps in Victoria.
The microscopic remains were found on a small, portable grindstone that would have been carried around by its owners during travels.
The group can also lay claim to discovering the first conclusive archaeological evidence of insect food remains on stone artefacts anywhere in the world.