First Nations groups in south-eastern Australia had a tradition of burying their companion dingos, similar to how people today bury their pets. Recently, a dingo burial was excavated in the Menindee Lakes area in New South Wales at the request of the Menindee Aboriginal Elders Council. The dingo, known as “kali” in the Barkindji language, was buried in a midden, which is a site built by the Old People and not a rubbish heap as commonly believed. Burying dingos in middens is believed to connect them with the ancestors.
Before the bones were lifted out of the midden, a smoking ceremony was conducted by Barb Quayle, vice-chair of the Menindee Aboriginal Elders Council. Smoking ceremonies are significant rituals performed by First Nations people to cleanse or protect a place, person, or animal from negative spirits.
The dingo burial discovered in Menindee is located at the western edge of where dingos were traditionally buried in middens. Dingos have been found buried in many archaeological sites across south-eastern Australia, particularly along the Murray-Darling river system and the coast. These burials often occur alongside ancestral remains.
The excavated dingo was determined to be old and male based on its teeth and the presence of a baculum or penis bone. The examination also revealed signs of bone decay and a possible healed fracture, suggesting that the dingo may have had a long-term illness and received care from its human companions. The dingo’s short stature indicates that ancestral companion dingos may have been smaller than both wild dingos and their modern counterparts.
Further analysis will be conducted on the skeleton to determine its size, age at the time of burial, and genetic relationship to other dingos through DNA analysis. Once the analysis is complete, the dingo will be reburied on Country.
Dingos have been present in Australia for thousands of years, with radiocarbon dating suggesting their arrival around 3,500 years ago. However, DNA dating and the relationship between dingos and New Guinea singing dogs indicate that they may have arrived even earlier. It is believed that dingos were brought to Australia by people in boats, indicating their status as companion animals.
The excavation of the dingo burial is part of a long-term collaboration between Barkindji cultural knowledge holders and research scientists, focusing on the occupation of the Menindee Lakes region by the Barkindji people for over 40,000 years. The authors express their gratitude to the Menindee Aboriginal Elders Council, NSW National Parks and Wildlife, Australian Museum donors and the Australian Museum Foundation for their support and funding.
