In the Wake of the Sea Peoples, In the Footsteps of Goliath: Excavating the Philistine Site of Tell es-Safi/Gath. This project brings Australian research into the current scholarly debates on Philistine identity, a quickly growing sub-discipline in Mediterranean archaeology. Marginalized in the Bible as decadent, current research sees the Philistines as a cosmopolitan culture resulting from migration from Cyprus and the Aegean, and interaction with the local Canaanite population. In addition, Au ....In the Wake of the Sea Peoples, In the Footsteps of Goliath: Excavating the Philistine Site of Tell es-Safi/Gath. This project brings Australian research into the current scholarly debates on Philistine identity, a quickly growing sub-discipline in Mediterranean archaeology. Marginalized in the Bible as decadent, current research sees the Philistines as a cosmopolitan culture resulting from migration from Cyprus and the Aegean, and interaction with the local Canaanite population. In addition, Australian collaboration and interaction with Israeli colleagues and students will contribute to a more positive perception of the Jewish community in Australia, which has been the recent target of anti-Semitic activities as a result of the Israeli government's invasion of Gaza.Read moreRead less
Medievalism in Australian Cultural Memory. This project will provide the first long-range analysis of Australian cultural responses to the medieval period, and the first comparative study of Australia's relationship with international medievalism. It will show how Australians have used reference to the medieval past, both favourable and hostile, to articulate our complex relation to European tradition and our aspirations to a distinctive national culture. The published research will offer an ori ....Medievalism in Australian Cultural Memory. This project will provide the first long-range analysis of Australian cultural responses to the medieval period, and the first comparative study of Australia's relationship with international medievalism. It will show how Australians have used reference to the medieval past, both favourable and hostile, to articulate our complex relation to European tradition and our aspirations to a distinctive national culture. The published research will offer an original perspective on the development of Australian cultural identity and will enhance public understanding of our British and European heritage, in the context of contemporary debates about republicanism, the monarchy, and ethnic and cultural diversity.Read moreRead less
Settlement patterns, craft production, and the rise of early states in China. This project is an international, multidisciplinary archaeological program focused on monitoring the processes which led to the rise of early states in China, through extensive study of settlement patterns in the Yiluo valley, using regional surveys and geoarchaeological investigations. It will make significant contributions in four aspects: evaluation and reformulation of general theoretical and methodological approac ....Settlement patterns, craft production, and the rise of early states in China. This project is an international, multidisciplinary archaeological program focused on monitoring the processes which led to the rise of early states in China, through extensive study of settlement patterns in the Yiluo valley, using regional surveys and geoarchaeological investigations. It will make significant contributions in four aspects: evaluation and reformulation of general theoretical and methodological approaches to the interdisciplinary study of social complexity; enhanced understanding of Chinese cultural history in the light of anthropological theory; articulation of empirical approaches to the study of Chinese civilisation through archaeology; and strengthened collaborative research between archaeologists in Australia and other parts of the world.Read moreRead less
Still Fighting for Our Rights: The Ongoing Struggle for Civil Rights in the USA, 1965-1980. The American civil rights struggle has close parallels with Australia's, since both countries are new and culturally-diverse societies where race has played a central role in defining the national character. Our study will help to further strengthen the close links between Australia and the U.S., and will raise the profile of Australian higher education in the U.S, since both Minchin and Salmond have pub ....Still Fighting for Our Rights: The Ongoing Struggle for Civil Rights in the USA, 1965-1980. The American civil rights struggle has close parallels with Australia's, since both countries are new and culturally-diverse societies where race has played a central role in defining the national character. Our study will help to further strengthen the close links between Australia and the U.S., and will raise the profile of Australian higher education in the U.S, since both Minchin and Salmond have published widely in the U.S, especially in this field. Much of the recent upsurge in scholarship on U.S. civil rights has been carried out by scholars based outside the U.S., especially in Europe, and it is vital to have Australian-based scholars and institutions at the heart of this vibrant and relevant field.Read moreRead less
Imperial Designs: Remaking the Institutions of Global Communications. Fresh perspectives about markets, hierarchies and networks as ways of organising economic activity will come from better understanding the governance and performance of Australia's overseas communications in the second half of the 20th century. In the internet era, when so much online activity involves overseas access, global links are even more important to the cultural and economic innovation sought through improved broadban ....Imperial Designs: Remaking the Institutions of Global Communications. Fresh perspectives about markets, hierarchies and networks as ways of organising economic activity will come from better understanding the governance and performance of Australia's overseas communications in the second half of the 20th century. In the internet era, when so much online activity involves overseas access, global links are even more important to the cultural and economic innovation sought through improved broadband infrastructure. Answering the recent call for 'a wide-ranging reassessment of Australia's imperial experience across a broad front', research about the post-war Commonwealth telecommunications scheme will be particularly valuable as the global financial crisis tests forms of globalization that seemed durable.Read moreRead less
The Dissemination and Control of Clandestine Writing in England 1695--1774. The literary underworld of the eighteenth century is the subject of serious academic pursuit internationally by literary historians, historians of sex and sexuality, philosophers and feminists. Australia's reputation will be enhanced by participating in this rapidly evolving field. Australia already has an internationally significant profile in bibliography and eighteenth-century literary studies due to a combination o ....The Dissemination and Control of Clandestine Writing in England 1695--1774. The literary underworld of the eighteenth century is the subject of serious academic pursuit internationally by literary historians, historians of sex and sexuality, philosophers and feminists. Australia's reputation will be enhanced by participating in this rapidly evolving field. Australia already has an internationally significant profile in bibliography and eighteenth-century literary studies due to a combination of outstanding scholars and resources. This project will enhance Australian strength in, and contribution to, the world-wide study of these two subjects. This study will also be informed by, and contribute to, the contemporary philosophical, religious and ethical debate concerning the distribution of contentious material.Read moreRead less
POLICING IRELAND UNDER THE UNION: A SOCIAL HISTORY. Although Irish republicans argue that the union with Britain (1801-1921) was imposed upon the country, many Irish people worked for the British. This project aims to examine the 85,000 Irishmen who served in the Irish constabulary from the 1820s to the 1920s. The police were the most powerful arm of British government and yet the force was composed largely of rural Catholic nationalists. The book will consider how such men negotiated their comp ....POLICING IRELAND UNDER THE UNION: A SOCIAL HISTORY. Although Irish republicans argue that the union with Britain (1801-1921) was imposed upon the country, many Irish people worked for the British. This project aims to examine the 85,000 Irishmen who served in the Irish constabulary from the 1820s to the 1920s. The police were the most powerful arm of British government and yet the force was composed largely of rural Catholic nationalists. The book will consider how such men negotiated their complex and conflicting roles and identities. It will throw light on the mechanisms of British rule, on techniques of policing and on how native elites function in a colonial context.Read moreRead less
Public and Private Lies: Retelling the clash of duty, power and sexual indulgence in the Roman imperial court. The Australian public has a genuine and demonstrable interest in Ancient World Studies. This project offers them insight into how the ancient world constructed its political scandals. It examines the interrelationship of private acts and public conduct during the height of the Roman empire, and how personal morality was perceived to affect capability to govern. It provides a case study ....Public and Private Lies: Retelling the clash of duty, power and sexual indulgence in the Roman imperial court. The Australian public has a genuine and demonstrable interest in Ancient World Studies. This project offers them insight into how the ancient world constructed its political scandals. It examines the interrelationship of private acts and public conduct during the height of the Roman empire, and how personal morality was perceived to affect capability to govern. It provides a case study for the assessment of similar scandals in the modern world. By reading ancient perspectives on "sex", "power", and "privacy", we better understand our world and the potential for miscommunication across cultures. The project also promotes co-operation between metropolitan and regional universities in sharing resources in a national collaborative project.Read moreRead less
An Archaeology of Institutional Confinement: the Hyde Park Barracks 1848-1886. This project has three benefits. First, it will help Australians understand more about the history of government care for the sick and the destitute, an issue that strongly resonates in the contemporary community. Second, by focusing on the archaeology of migration we can improve our understanding of its consequences. Third, the visitors to the Hyde Park Barracks Museum will be better able to understand the richness ....An Archaeology of Institutional Confinement: the Hyde Park Barracks 1848-1886. This project has three benefits. First, it will help Australians understand more about the history of government care for the sick and the destitute, an issue that strongly resonates in the contemporary community. Second, by focusing on the archaeology of migration we can improve our understanding of its consequences. Third, the visitors to the Hyde Park Barracks Museum will be better able to understand the richness and diversity of the archaeological and historical records of early Australian history. This will enhance the heritage value of archaeological assemblages that present significant challenges to those who seek to display or interpret them. Read moreRead less
Defining and Attempting Reconciliation: A Critical Analysis of the Pursuit of Reconciliation in South Africa's Truth and Reconciliation Commission. This project challenges existing accounts of South Africa's confrontation of its apartheid past, by establishing the conceptual significance of 'reconciliation' in its Truth and Reconciliation Commission. Using a perspective informed by the international context of transitional justice, and by comparison with other postcolonial racially-divided soci ....Defining and Attempting Reconciliation: A Critical Analysis of the Pursuit of Reconciliation in South Africa's Truth and Reconciliation Commission. This project challenges existing accounts of South Africa's confrontation of its apartheid past, by establishing the conceptual significance of 'reconciliation' in its Truth and Reconciliation Commission. Using a perspective informed by the international context of transitional justice, and by comparison with other postcolonial racially-divided societies, it tests the hypothesis that restorative justice is more effective than retributive justice. Publication of the findings in a book and articles will illuminate the significance of 'reconciliation' for South Africa's recent political, legal and social history, and for its immediate future. In a larger thematic context, it also offers important applications for Australia.Read moreRead less