Ancient Dingo Burial Reveals Barkindji Care

Why this is here: The dingo’s heavily worn teeth indicate he lived a relatively long life—between four and seven years—likely spent actively hunting alongside the Barkindji people.

Archaeologists working with the Barkindji people in western New South Wales, Australia, unearthed the 963 to 916 year old remains of a male dingo. Barkindji Elder Uncle Badger Bates first identified the burial site in 2020 during road construction. The dingo, called garli in the Barkindji language, showed signs of healed broken ribs and a leg, suggesting the animal received long-term care after injuries possibly sustained while hunting.

Researchers found the dingo deliberately buried within a midden—a mound of organic material—and that people continued adding river mussel shells to the site for centuries after his death. This practice appears to be a documented instance of a post-death “feeding” ritual intended to honor the dingo as an ancestor.

The study confirms long-held Barkindji knowledge of deep connections between people and dingoes, but questions remain about how widespread this ritual was among other First Nations groups. The dingo’s remains have since been returned to Country for continued care.