In theory it is nothing more than the remnants of an ancient lake (completely dry and with ancient sand dunes) in the middle of the New South Wales outback.
In reality it is one of the most significant anthropological and archaeological sites in the world.
The area is located 987 km west of Sydney via the Hume and Sturt Highways and 128 km north of Balranald, Lake Mungo is one of 17 dry lakes which constitute the Willandra Lakes World Heritage Area which is part of the Mungo National Park. The importance of this site is that it dried up about 14 000 years ago capturing a remarkable range of creatures which are now all fossilised.
The remains of extinct creatures - Tasmanian tigers, giant, short-faced kangaroos and a strange oxen-sized animal called a zygomaturus - have been found. Crucially, carbon dating has indicated that Aborigines inhabited the area 40 000 years ago, making it the site of the oldest known human occupation in Australia. From the lake they gathered mussels, Murray cod and golden perch. They also hunted wallabies and rat kangaroos and collected emu eggs.
