Geologist who unearthed Mungo Man fights for 40,000-year-old remains
Geologist who unearthed Mungo Man fights for 40,000-year-old remains
Forty years after his discovery in the sand dunes of western NSW, Jim Bowler wants repatriation of the remains speeded up
Michael Safi
The Guardian, Monday 24 February 2014 21.19 EST
Forty years after Mungo Man was unearthed in the dunes of western New South Wales, the geologist who made the discovery is urging the NSW government to speed up repatriation of the remains.
Professor Jim Bowler said the process of returning the remains dated at more than 40,000 years old, whose 1974 discovery confirmed that Indigenous Australians belonged to the world’s oldest continuing culture, had “stalled”, and needed to be “dealt with quickly, and dealt with authoritatively by [NSW environment minister] Robyn Parker”.
Bowler said the World Heritage-listed Willandra Lakes region, where the remains where found, was being improperly managed and could soon “fall into a stage that we would regret, unless moves are made to put management into a better, more efficient level of operation”.
It had been hoped that the repatriation would take place on Wednesday, 40 years to the day since Bowler made his famous find. But obstacles meant it would still be “some weeks” before Mungo Man was returned to country, he said.
More:
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/feb/25/geologist-fights-mungo-man-remains
