The Nakanai Caves Cultural Heritage Project. This project aims to document and integrate the natural and cultural values of the Nakanai Caves in East New Britain, Papua New Guinea, in preparation for a cultural landscape World Heritage nomination. The project’s novel methodology incorporates community knowledge with archaeological and anthropological evidence to link natural and cultural values and define the landscape from local perspectives. Local input into the research will be prioritised. B ....The Nakanai Caves Cultural Heritage Project. This project aims to document and integrate the natural and cultural values of the Nakanai Caves in East New Britain, Papua New Guinea, in preparation for a cultural landscape World Heritage nomination. The project’s novel methodology incorporates community knowledge with archaeological and anthropological evidence to link natural and cultural values and define the landscape from local perspectives. Local input into the research will be prioritised. By emphasising local participation and management of World Heritage listing processes the project aims to address an identified gap in World Heritage methodologies. This project allows for a subtle, nuanced definition of cultural landscapes under the World Heritage Convention.Read moreRead less
Establishing the provenance of Torres Strait Islander remains: genetics, craniometrics and isotopes. The repatriation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander remains has been a focus of Commonwealth and State Governments for over two decades. It remains as a significant social and cultural issue for many Indigenous Australians. One of the main hurdles to repatriation is the fact that hundreds, and possibly thousands of human remains have very little contextual detail associated with them. A num ....Establishing the provenance of Torres Strait Islander remains: genetics, craniometrics and isotopes. The repatriation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander remains has been a focus of Commonwealth and State Governments for over two decades. It remains as a significant social and cultural issue for many Indigenous Australians. One of the main hurdles to repatriation is the fact that hundreds, and possibly thousands of human remains have very little contextual detail associated with them. A number of techniques have been developed in the field of biological anthropology to reconstruct the history of individual skeletal remains. This innovative project aims to use advances in the fields of ancient DNA, isotope analysis and craniometrics to resolve the provenance of 113 trophy skulls from the Torres Strait Islands.Read moreRead less
Monitoring and evaluating Moreton Bay and its catchments as a socio-ecological system. This project will identify how to include social and cultural analysis into protected area management arrangements, to enhance the protection of Moreton Bay Marine Park and other marine and land protected areas. It will integrate catchment with ocean, and social with biophysical sciences and economics towards a monitoring and evaluation framework that informs management by government, government-community part ....Monitoring and evaluating Moreton Bay and its catchments as a socio-ecological system. This project will identify how to include social and cultural analysis into protected area management arrangements, to enhance the protection of Moreton Bay Marine Park and other marine and land protected areas. It will integrate catchment with ocean, and social with biophysical sciences and economics towards a monitoring and evaluation framework that informs management by government, government-community partnerships and traditional owners. It will build capacity in linking catchment and marine areas, provide social analysis that is highly valuable to management and communications strategies, and combine Indigenous with non-Indigenous knowledge systems to highlight differing cultural values and ways of protecting waterways.Read moreRead less