The Wurdi Youang stone arrangement, also known as the Mount Rothwell Archaeological Site, is a protected location between Melbourne and Geelong near Little River. The arrangement consists of approximately 100 basalt stones with an egg-like shape, spanning about 50 meters along its longest axis, which aligns east-west. The stones vary in size, ranging from small rocks measuring around 0.2 meters in diameter to standing stones up to 0.75 meters tall, some of which are supported by trigger stones. At the western end of the arrangement, there are three large stones, approximately 0.6 meters high, positioned at the highest point where the land slopes downward towards the eastern end, resulting in a total drop of around 4 meters across the arrangement.

The significance of the stones was lost due to the dispossession and suppression of language and cultural practices imposed on Indigenous people by colonists in the 19th and 20th centuries. However, archaeologists, astronomers, and First Nation advisers have been reclaiming that knowledge in recent years. They have discovered that the waist-high boulders at the tip of the egg-shaped structure align with the position on the horizon where the sun sets during the summer and winter solstices, marking the longest and shortest days of the year. Unlike Stonehenge, where the sun aligns with gaps in the stones on these significant dates in the solar calendar, the Wurdi Youang stone arrangement follows a different alignment pattern. The vertical axis of the arrangement points towards the equinox when the length of the day equals the length of the night.

Researchers estimate that the stones date back approximately 11,000 years, making the Wurdi Youang stone arrangement older than Stonehenge and the Egyptian pyramids. However, the exact construction date remains to be discovered due to political and funding backlash. Indigenous people are believed to have occupied the area from around 25,000 BCE until 1835, when they were displaced by European settlers. The stone arrangement is situated on a property that a single family has owned since the area was first settled and ruled out a European origin for the arrangement. In 1977, the Victorian Archaeological Survey designated it as a protected site and is currently owned and managed by the Wathaurong Aboriginal Co-operative.

The name "Wurdi Youang" is believed to be derived from the Wadawurrung language, meaning "big hill", an original name of what is now known as Station Peak or Flinders Peak, the tallest hill in the You Yangs. During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the region between the You Yangs, the town of Little River, and the Little River itself was referred to as the Parish of Wurdi Youang in the County of Grant. Additionally, the name "Wurdi" has been suggested to mean "plenty of people," while "Youang" means "bald" or "mountain," potentially referring to the nearby mountain range known as the "You Yangs." Another suggestion is that "Wurdi" may have a connection to the Woiwurrung word "Wurding," meaning abalone, possibly indicating that the stone arrangement's shape resembles an abalone shell or another mollusc, suggesting its use in ceremonial rituals. However, these theories are challenged by the considerable distance of 18 kilometres between the site and Port Phillip Bay, the nearest significant saltwater body where abalone could be found.

Researchers have uncovered artifacts and evidence of terraces called "gilgies" used for farming around the Wurdi Youang site, leading them to conclude that the arrangement was located near permanent villages. They propose that the site was used to observe and track the seasons through the movement of stars, possibly for agricultural purposes. Aboriginal communities profoundly understand celestial motions throughout the year and over extended periods. It is believed that these stone arrangements hold sacred and secretive significance to First Nation communities, which may explain the need for ethnographic records or oral histories regarding them.

Stone arrangements have been recorded in Victoria, with seven documented, though more arrangements are known, and there are claims that there are potentially hundreds in western Victoria. These arrangements vary in form, including circles, lines, pathways, standing stones, and cairns, and are found in various Indigenous cultures across Australia. Some arrangements are believed to have served practical purposes, such as fish traps or land boundaries, while others had ceremonial functions like initiation or burial rites.

The research continues in 2023 for the Wurdi Youang stone arrangement with the hope of being listed as a World Heritage Site, funding for protection and management, and bringing back the First Peoples' stories, culture, and languages of the area for the Wadawurrubg People and ancestors.

Written by James Vegter