A 140,000 year insight into the imprint of climate and humans on Australia. Before the arrival of Europeans, two events shaped Australia's current landscapes and biota more than any others: climate change during the glacial cycle and the arrival of humans on the continent. However, the full scale of these events is not well understood. High resolution analyses of two continuous 140 000 year old sediment deposits will be used in this project to fill this void and answer fundamental questions abou ....A 140,000 year insight into the imprint of climate and humans on Australia. Before the arrival of Europeans, two events shaped Australia's current landscapes and biota more than any others: climate change during the glacial cycle and the arrival of humans on the continent. However, the full scale of these events is not well understood. High resolution analyses of two continuous 140 000 year old sediment deposits will be used in this project to fill this void and answer fundamental questions about how current Australian environments came to be.Read moreRead less
From prehistory to history: landscape and cultural change on the South Alligator River, Kakadu National Park. This project explores the archaeology, history and palaeoecology of the Kakadu floodplains to better understand social and environmental changes that have taken place in this landscape from the mid-Holocene to historical times. The outcome will be a contextualised understanding of potential climate change impacts against a history of past change.
Environmental and cultural change along the Central Murray River. The aim of this project is to understand how past people in the riverine landscapes of the Murray-Darling Basin (MDB) were influenced by and adapted to environmental change. This will be achieved using a novel cross-disciplinary approach combining state-of-the-art palaeoenvironmental and archaeological methods. Indigenous people of the MDB have always been closely linked to rivers, however, over the period of human habitation flow ....Environmental and cultural change along the Central Murray River. The aim of this project is to understand how past people in the riverine landscapes of the Murray-Darling Basin (MDB) were influenced by and adapted to environmental change. This will be achieved using a novel cross-disciplinary approach combining state-of-the-art palaeoenvironmental and archaeological methods. Indigenous people of the MDB have always been closely linked to rivers, however, over the period of human habitation flows on these rivers were likely subject to changes that exceeded present-day variability. Understanding how these changes have impacted humans, offers clues on adaption to environmental change and aids in developing strategies for living with the inherently variable and vulnerable rivers in drylands.Read moreRead less
The archaeology of Thailand and Myanmar: A Strategic Region for Understanding Modern Human Colonization and Interactions Across our Region. At a crossroads between India, Australia and the Pacific, this project recognises western mainland Southeast Asia as critical to understanding the human history of the region over the past 50 000 years. Thailand and Myanmar are strategically positioned to test competing models of initial modern human expansion, and subsequent trajectories of cultural change ....The archaeology of Thailand and Myanmar: A Strategic Region for Understanding Modern Human Colonization and Interactions Across our Region. At a crossroads between India, Australia and the Pacific, this project recognises western mainland Southeast Asia as critical to understanding the human history of the region over the past 50 000 years. Thailand and Myanmar are strategically positioned to test competing models of initial modern human expansion, and subsequent trajectories of cultural change and interaction. This project aims to produce multiple data sets for reconstructing palaeoclimate. This data will assist in testing projections for future climate, making a significant contribution in responding to climate change and variability.Read moreRead less
Australian Laureate Fellowships - Grant ID: FL140100044
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$2,647,521.00
Summary
What is natural? Humans, megafauna and climate in northern Australia. What is natural? Humans, megafauna and climate in northern Australia. This project aims to produce the first long-term (100,000 year), replicated, high-resolution terrestrial records of environmental change before, during and after the arrival of humans in Australian savannas. These records will be the first in the world to extract, from the same material, independent, cutting-edge organic and isotope geochemical records of ch ....What is natural? Humans, megafauna and climate in northern Australia. What is natural? Humans, megafauna and climate in northern Australia. This project aims to produce the first long-term (100,000 year), replicated, high-resolution terrestrial records of environmental change before, during and after the arrival of humans in Australian savannas. These records will be the first in the world to extract, from the same material, independent, cutting-edge organic and isotope geochemical records of changes in water balance, vegetation type and fire activity. This will enable natural and human drivers of change in northern Australia's climate and biodiversity to be disentangled on two timescales: millennial: before, during and after Aboriginal arrival in northern Australia and centennial: before, during and after European arrival in northern Australia.Read moreRead less
Environmental Transformations linked to Early Human Occupation in Northern Australia. How have interactions between climatic change, human activities and other disturbances over thousands of years shaped the landscapes we know today in Australia? Existing lines of evidence from palaeoecological and archaeological sources point to significant changes to biodiversity, vegetation cover, and fire frequency since the arrival of people into Australia sometime between 50000 to 40000 yr BP. The extent t ....Environmental Transformations linked to Early Human Occupation in Northern Australia. How have interactions between climatic change, human activities and other disturbances over thousands of years shaped the landscapes we know today in Australia? Existing lines of evidence from palaeoecological and archaeological sources point to significant changes to biodiversity, vegetation cover, and fire frequency since the arrival of people into Australia sometime between 50000 to 40000 yr BP. The extent to which humans influenced or overrode natural processes through time remains unclear. High-resolution, multi-proxy data in an innovative vegetation and megafaunal reconstruction will provide the first quantitative assessment of the response of Australian tropical savannas to a range of natural and anthropogenic influences.Read moreRead less
Palaeo-vegetation, biodiversity and early human dispersal though island Southeast Asia. This study will use newly developed and fully validated isotope techniques to obtain robustly dated proxy records of vegetation change from the thick deposits of cave guano that occur extensively throughout island Southeast Asia (Sundaland). This project will test the hypothesis that during the Last Glacial Period, there was a substantial contraction of the rainforest towards the equator into refugia. This le ....Palaeo-vegetation, biodiversity and early human dispersal though island Southeast Asia. This study will use newly developed and fully validated isotope techniques to obtain robustly dated proxy records of vegetation change from the thick deposits of cave guano that occur extensively throughout island Southeast Asia (Sundaland). This project will test the hypothesis that during the Last Glacial Period, there was a substantial contraction of the rainforest towards the equator into refugia. This led to the development of an open ‘savannah corridor’ connecting savanna north and south of the equator. The project will shed new light on the palaeoclimatology of the region and provide a major contribution to explaining modern biogeographic patterns across Sundaland, as well as the trajectories of early human dispersal through the region.Read moreRead less
Plant use at the dawn of agriculture in central Anatolia. The project will increase collaboration with researchers in the UK, and Turkish archaeological authorities. It will refine our understanding of the process, rate and direction of agricultural origins in Western Asia and improve Australia's profile in origins of agriculture research. It will increase Australia's knowledge base about other regions and help to consolidate and promote archaeobotany/archaeological science in Australia's resear ....Plant use at the dawn of agriculture in central Anatolia. The project will increase collaboration with researchers in the UK, and Turkish archaeological authorities. It will refine our understanding of the process, rate and direction of agricultural origins in Western Asia and improve Australia's profile in origins of agriculture research. It will increase Australia's knowledge base about other regions and help to consolidate and promote archaeobotany/archaeological science in Australia's research community.Read moreRead less
From village to empire in the Zagros highlands: Archaeological investigations at Tol-e Nurabad (Fars Province, Iran). This joint Australian-Iranian archaeological project will strengthen an important collaborative partnership between Australia and Iran in an area of mutual interest - the investigation of past societies. The human significance of such collaboration extends far beyond Australia's commercial relationship with Iran. It will build bridges and promote understanding between the two soc ....From village to empire in the Zagros highlands: Archaeological investigations at Tol-e Nurabad (Fars Province, Iran). This joint Australian-Iranian archaeological project will strengthen an important collaborative partnership between Australia and Iran in an area of mutual interest - the investigation of past societies. The human significance of such collaboration extends far beyond Australia's commercial relationship with Iran. It will build bridges and promote understanding between the two societies at both a scientific and grassroots level. It is a tangible expression of goodwill and a genuine interest in Iran's past, as well as an investment in a cultural and human relationship with one of the most important countries in the Middle East.Read moreRead less
A study of ancient jade trading networks in prehistoric southern China and Southeast Asia, 3000 BC to AD 500. This project will make a significant intellectual contribution to enhancing Australia's awareness of the histories of neighbouring populations in Southeast Asia that in total exceed 750 million people. It will thus contribute to a better understanding of our region and the world. The project will also benefit the indigenous populations and future researchers of neighbouring Asian countri ....A study of ancient jade trading networks in prehistoric southern China and Southeast Asia, 3000 BC to AD 500. This project will make a significant intellectual contribution to enhancing Australia's awareness of the histories of neighbouring populations in Southeast Asia that in total exceed 750 million people. It will thus contribute to a better understanding of our region and the world. The project will also benefit the indigenous populations and future researchers of neighbouring Asian countries, through research collaboration and the dissemination of original research results, enhancing Australia's status as a supportive neighbour in the region.Read moreRead less