An ancient midden of freshwater mussel shells at Lake Mungo

Middens are the remains of ancient meals and provide evidence of people living at Lake Mungo thousands of years ago. The main foods eaten in the area were freshwater mussels, fish, crayfish, small mammals such as bandicoots, wallabies and rat kangaroos, and birds and their eggs. Large middens found along the Australian coast have provided evidence of thousands of meals over many years. At Lake Mungo, middens are usually smaller, showing the remains of fewer meals over a shorter time.