Rio Tinto Ousts CEO For Destroying Archaeological Site

In May 2020, Rio Tinto, an Anglo-Australian multinational mining company and the world's biggest iron ore miner, destroyed two ancient caves in Pilbara, Western Australia. The decision sparked widespread condemnation from shareholders and the public.

The caves in question were the Juukan Gorge rock shelters, which were regarded as one of Australia's most significant archaeological research sites because they showed evidence of continuous human habitation dating back 46,000 years. The blasting of the Juukan Gorge was legally sanctioned as part of a long-planned expansion of Rio Tinto's Brockman 4 iron ore mine but was opposed by local populations, including the Puutu Kunti Kurrama and Pinikura peoples.