Lake Mungo

Lake Mungo, located in New South Wales, Australia, is a dry lake known for its rich archaeological heritage and unique geology.

It is situated about 760 km west of Sydney and 90 km northeast of Mildura. The lake is a central feature of Mungo National Park and is one of the seventeen lakes in the World Heritage Willandra Lakes Region.

The geology of Lake Mungo is fascinating. Sediments have been deposited there for over 120,000 years. The eastern side of the lake bed is home to the "Walls of China," a series of crescent-shaped sand dunes that stretch over 33 km and reach up to 40m in height. Most of the archaeological material has been found in this area. The lake bed contains three distinct layers of sand and soil. The oldest layer, known as the Gol Gol layer, formed around 100,000 to 120,000 years ago. The middle layer, called the Mungo layer, was deposited between 50,000 and 25,000 years ago. The most recent layer, the Zanci layer, was laid down mostly between 25,000 and 15,000 years ago. The Mungo layer is particularly significant archaeologically, with evidence of human populations and various Australian megafauna. Despite low rainfall and cooler weather, this layer was deposited before the last ice age, as rainwater from the western side of the Great Dividing Range kept the lake full.

During the last ice age, the water level in Lake Mungo dropped, turning it into a salt lake. This resulted in alkaline soil, which preserved the remains found in the Walls of China. Although the lake has since dried