The Dargan Shelter cave, located near Lithgow in New South Wales, is recognized as Australia's oldest known high mountain site occupied by humans, with evidence of human activity dating back approximately 20,000 years.

Wayne Brennan, an archaeologist and Gomeroi man, highlights the site as a historical gathering point for various Indigenous tribes, underscoring its importance in Indigenous culture.

Radiocarbon dating has confirmed that the Dargan Shelter was continuously inhabited from the ice age until about 400 years ago, challenging previous assumptions about human activity at high altitudes.

Research published in Nature Human Behaviour indicates that First Nations peoples utilized the cave as a short-stay accommodation for socializing, trading, and preparing for corroborees during the last ice age.

The findings have sparked discussions about extending the UNESCO listing of the Blue Mountains to include cultural heritage values, as the site has remained well-preserved and undisturbed.

Local Aboriginal custodians are advocating for greater protection of their cultural heritage, especially in light of damage caused by the 2019 bushfires.

The Dargan Shelter is now considered the most significant archaeological landscape in Australia regarding ice age occupation, which may contribute to the protection of local cultural sites.

Researchers, including Erin Wilkins, a Darug and Wiradjuri woman, have collaborated with Aboriginal custodians for six years to map rock shelters in the area, emphasizing the cultural significance of the Dargan Shelter.

Despite the harsh conditions of the ice age, Indigenous peoples would travel to the cave, which offered stunning views and a deep cultural connection.

Brennan describes the archaeological findings as a connection to 'deep time', linking these discoveries to Aboriginal lore known as Tjukurpa.

Professor Philip Piper notes that the evidence found at Dargan Shelter provides a continuous record of human activity and environmental changes over millennia.

Archaeological excavations at the site have uncovered 693 artefacts and rock art, including a hand stencil, demonstrating continuous human occupation from the Late Pleistocene to modern times.