In May 2020, Rio Tinto destroyed a 47,000-year-old Aboriginal heritage site, Juukan Gorge, in Western Australia.

In May 2020, Rio Tinto destroyed an ancient rockshelter, Juukan Gorge, in Western Australia despite evidence of 47,000-year-old Aboriginal heritage. Excavated in 2014, the site held significant artifacts and remains, leading to last-minute efforts to prevent its destruction. The full results of the excavation were published for the first time, detailing 47,000 years of Aboriginal heritage erased by the mining blast.