Madjedbebe
Madjedbebe | |
Madjedbebe Shown within Northern Territory Madjedbebe Madjedbebe (Australia) | |
| Alternative name | Malakunanja II |
|---|---|
| Location | Arnhem Land |
| Region | Northern Territory |
| Coordinates | 12°30′S 132°53′E / 12.500°S 132.883°E |
| Type | Rock shelter site |
| History | |
| Periods | Pleistocene |
| Cultures | Aboriginal Australians |
| Site notes | |
| Excavation dates | 1973, 1989, 2012, 2015 |
| Archaeologists | Chris Clarkson Johan Kamminga, Rhys Jones, Mike Smith |
| Management | Mirrar traditional owners of lands |
| Public access | No |
Madjedbebe (formerly known as Malakunanja II) is a sandstone rock shelter in Arnhem Land, in the Northern Territory of Australia, possibly the oldest site of human habitation in Australia. It is located about 50 kilometres (31 mi) from the coast. It is part of the lands traditionally inhabited by the Mirarr, an Aboriginal Australian clan of the Gaagudju people, of the Gunwinyguan language group. Madjedbebe is located within the former Jabiluka Mineral Leasehold, surrounded by the World Heritage-listed Kakadu National Park. The mineral lease expired in August 2024, after the Australian federal government refused a renewal application from the mine's operators. The government plans to formally absorb the site into Kakadu National Park.