The timing of arrival of the first populations on the continent and surrounding islands is a matter of debate among scientists. Mungo Man LM3 and Mungo Lady, which have been dated to about 50,000 years BP, are the oldest definitively human remains discovered in Australia. A date as early as 65,000 BP is indicated by recent archaeological findings from the study of charcoal and artifacts revealing human use. As far back as 60,000 years BP, luminescence dating has indicated habitation in Arnhem Land. Fire evidence in South-West Australia suggests "human presence in Australia 120,000 years ago"

AUSTRALIAN ABORIGINALS

Language

Although the different Aboriginal peoples have a number of commonalities, there is also a great diversity in Australia among different groups and societies, each with its own mixture of cultures, customs and languages.

Those groups are further divided into local communities in present-day Australia. About 250 Native languages were spoken at the time of the initial European settlement; 120 to 145 of these are still known to remain in use, but only 13 of these are not considered endangered. Today, most Aboriginal people speak English, incorporating Aboriginal phrases and words to establish Australian Aboriginal English.

Culture

The oral heritage and spiritual beliefs of Aboriginal Australians are based on respect for the land and a belief in Dreamtime, or Dreaming. The Dreaming is believed to be both the ancient conception era and Dreaming's present-day reality. It outlines the cosmology of the Aboriginals, which includes the ancestral tales of the creator-beings of the supernatural and how they created locations. Each tale can be called a "Dreaming" with dreams or ancestral tracks spanning the entire continent, often represented by songlines .

Since the beginning, Australian Aboriginal Ceremonies have been part of Aboriginal culture and still play a crucial role in society. For several different purposes, they are always performed, all of which are based on the community's spiritual values and cultural practices. They include tales of visions, hidden events at sacred sites, homecomings, births and deaths.They still play a very high role. They are carried out in Arnhem Land and Central Australia in order to ensure a plentiful supply of food; they play an important role in educating children in many areas, transmitting the lore of their people, spiritual beliefs