Ancient Ruins Found in Australia: Real or Hoax?

A story circulating online claims that the ruins of an ancient city were recently discovered in Australia. Is this story real or fake?

It’s not true.

The article was published by World News Daily Report, a website that produces fake news in the name of satire. The website’s disclaimer reads in part, “All news articles contained within worldnewsdailyreport.com are fiction, and presumably fake news.”

World News Daily Report is one of a handful of newer websites which publish realistic-sounding news in the name of satire. It has been debated if the true intent of such websites is actually satire, or the publication of outlandish headlines in order to generate as much traffic as possible.

Synopsis

In the fake story we read that an excavation in the Australian desert revealed the ruins of a large and ancient city dating back more than 1500 years. It is stated that the civilization flourished in the area until the 9th century, when drought led to its demise.

Fake Photos

As first reported by Bad Satire Today, the fake story also includes photos borrowed from other websites. One photo features a skeleton with a caption that 287 tombs had been discovered at the excavation site. That photo, however, was posted back in 2011 and shows graves unearthed in Libya at the time.

Another image which is said to feature the newly-discovered city actually depicts the pyramids at Sedeinga in Sudan. You can find that photo posted in a May 2014 article by Archaeology News Network.

Bottom Line

The story that an ancient city was discovered in the Australian desert is fake. It was published by the fake news website World News Daily Report.