Albatross Bay

Jan translation here

Albatross Bay formed sometime around 6,000 years ago as sea levels rose after the last ice age. Aboriginal people might have arrived in this area around 40,000 years ago and possibly as early as 67,000 years ago. The earliest evidence we have of Aboriginal people living at Albatross Bay dates to approximately 3,500-4,000 years ago and comes from the shell mounds. Mounds built up over hundreds of years or more. Similar kinds of sites are known from across northern Australia, however nowhere else are they known to occur in such large numbers or sizes as here. They are very unique, as they are one of the few examples of Aboriginal archaeological sites that can be viewed in satellite images.

Archeologists have found that people rarely collected foods other than shellfish while using these mounds. One type of shellfish (Anadara granosa) is the most abundant material in these shell mounds, like in Princess Charlotte Bay.