Australian Aboriginals cared for a dingo's grave for decades

“This confirms these traditions were much more widespread than we once thought,” said University of Western Australia specialist Loukas Koungoulos, the lead author of the paper, in a press release. “If garli were buried with the same care and respect we see for human ancestors, including mothers and elders, it tells us these animals were profoundly valued and loved,” said Way. In many places, shell middens begin as refuse piles and eventually become parts of the foundations of buildings or settlements. But in Australia, middens “are sites built by the Old People,” write Way, Barkindji elder and artist Barb Quayle, and Barkindji custodian Dave Doyle in a 2023 article about their work. They’re built on purpose as burial sites for family members—both two- and four-legged. But this is the first time archaeologists have actually unearthed a midden with evidence that people added to it regularly for so many generations.