Archaeology students work beside traditional owners at ancient site

Archaeologist Wayne Brennan has watched First Nations people be sidelined in the study of their own history during his career of more than 40 years.

To change that, the Gamilaraay man brought together traditional owners and a group of archaeology students from Sydney University to study a significant Indigenous site near Mudgee in the New South Wales central west.

"We walk side by side, we're equally important," Mr Brennan said.

"The way we work, the archaeologist doesn't hold all the power, which has traditionally been the way in Australia.

"This is actually on the ground working together to find solutions to record things better."

Eleven undergraduates met with Mr Brennan and other First Nations people at a property near Lue in late September to study grinding grooves, rock art and sieve for artefacts.

The students uncovered a further six grinding sites in the area while working with Wiradjuri traditional owners.

The traditional owners involved in the field study chose not to be quoted directly, but agreed for Mr Brennan to speak on their behalf.

Significant site

The village of Lue got its name from the Wiradjuri word Loowee, meaning chain of waterholes.

It was this abundance of fresh water and its proximity to the mountains of the Great Dividing Range, where ceremonies would take place in the summer, that made the area a common resting place for First Nations people for thousands of years.

"The whole valley is very rich with cultural heritage and this place around Lue demonstrated that,"

Mr Brennan said.

"It had some amazing axe grinding grooves, an incredible amount of artefacts there in close vicinity, literally thousands of them.

"People would have been coming through there, collecting resources, [then] going up and meeting their obligations and responsibility to ceremony."

Archaeologist and Indigenous Studies student Clem Dalton said it was an incredible opportunity.

"It feels really special to be a part of that change towards being more respectful towards the community," they said.

"The history of colonisation of Australia and the work that previous archaeologists have done, not being as respectful of country or traditional owners … I feel very lucky that they're here and willing to work with us."

The trip to Lue provided Clem Dalton's first opportunity to do field work and find Indigenous artefacts.

"It is indescribable. It is an adrenaline rush," they said.

Working together

Mr Brennan said a key focus of the field work was to build relationships between the archaeology students and Aboriginal people.

"We work together and we do that from the very beginning to the end, so it's not just consultation by box ticking," he said.

"Aboriginal people bring a sense of belonging and connection to country … they actually express what's important to them as far as research goes."

Mr Brennan said the result was a better historical understanding of the material that was discovered.

"The best way to protect and conserve is to have an excellent record," he said.

Progress to be made

Quandamooka man and Torres Strait Islander Dave Johnston became the first qualified Indigenous archaeologist in 1989 and is now the director of Indigenous Heritage Australia.

Mr Johnston said racism in Australia, particularly in the archaeology and academia sector, had damaged First Nations heritage, in the pursuit of research.

"You look at the treatment of Aboriginal people, it reflects in the academia," he said.

In 2020, mining company Rio Tinto legally blasted two ancient rock shelters, known as Juukan Gorge, destroying the site that contained artefacts more than 46,000 years old.

In May 2026, renewable energy company ACEREZ destroyed an Aboriginal rock shelter near Mudgee as part of its works to clear land for power lines.

Mr Johnston said both instances were examples of insufficient consultation with First Nations people.

"We've been striving to decolonise a very western perception of Australian archaeology," he said.

"[Historically] there was no consultation … people were digging up remains, doing what they wanted."

According to Mr Johnston, First Nations people have often been sidelined by Commonwealth legislation and consultants employed for the assessment of Indigenous heritage as part of major developments.

"We've lost tens of thousands of sites since the 1980s," he said.

"It is Indigenous heritage, it is ours. We have a responsibility to our people.

"Having our own people ensuring safeguards, mechanisms or ethical practices are put in to ensure the best outcomes for the management of our cultural heritage."

Mr Johnston said bringing students and traditional owners together was critical for changing the industry's previous failings.

"They're teaching an Indigenous perspective in archaeology," he said.

"Our students are learning respect from Indigenous peoples about us, our knowledge."

Hopes to return

Sydney University archaeologist and researcher Jacob Bongers helped organise the field study day.

"This is incredibly valuable for the students," he said.

"It is really rare and hard to find a place like Lue that has incredible cultural heritage, grinding grooves and rock art.

"Having Aboriginal people teaching them about Indigenous archaeology … it is really fantastic."

Dr Bongers said he hoped to be able to bring more students to the site.

"It starts with the community. They have absolutely welcomed us here," he said.

"If we get their permission, then we would love to continue doing work here."