Pyramids, power and the dynamics of states in crisis. This project aims to transform existing narratives about the impact of Egypt in the Pyramid Age (c. 2670–2200 BC). It will demonstrate the influence of large state entities as drivers of societal change in the ancient world. This interdisciplinary project transcends academic disciplines and modern borders by networking scientific analysis with archaeological and historical evidence, from across the eastern Mediterranean. The expected outcom ....Pyramids, power and the dynamics of states in crisis. This project aims to transform existing narratives about the impact of Egypt in the Pyramid Age (c. 2670–2200 BC). It will demonstrate the influence of large state entities as drivers of societal change in the ancient world. This interdisciplinary project transcends academic disciplines and modern borders by networking scientific analysis with archaeological and historical evidence, from across the eastern Mediterranean. The expected outcome of the project is an expansive vision of international relations in the third millennium BC, which elevates Egypt as a driver of economic, social and political change. In a region currently troubled by much turmoil, the shared nature of global issues across time and space, and the human response, will be evident.Read moreRead less
Proxies of power: ceramics and the Anatolian Iron Age. This project aims to understand the economic and political dynamics of emerging, competing polities during the Early and Middle Iron Age (~1200-600 BCE) in central and west Anatolia. It deploys a new protocol that combines mineralogical with geologically high resolution stable and radio-isotopic techniques for in-hand ceramics and sediments. This project will establish a definitive, spatially-discrete model of ceramic exchange between the ce ....Proxies of power: ceramics and the Anatolian Iron Age. This project aims to understand the economic and political dynamics of emerging, competing polities during the Early and Middle Iron Age (~1200-600 BCE) in central and west Anatolia. It deploys a new protocol that combines mineralogical with geologically high resolution stable and radio-isotopic techniques for in-hand ceramics and sediments. This project will establish a definitive, spatially-discrete model of ceramic exchange between the centres of three contemporary Anatolian polities: Phrygia, Lydia, and Tabal. The project will develop a new understanding of the economic and political transformations of Iron Age history, and expand the capabilities of a range of analytic techniques in archaeological contexts.Read moreRead less
The evolution of human innovation in an arid biodiversity hotspot. This project will examine the archaeology and environmental history of South Africa’s Succulent Karoo, the world’s only arid biodiversity hotspot. Arid regions of Africa have historically been marginalised in accounts of human evolution yet recent evidence suggests that they were loci of innovation over the last 120 000 years. To explore the importance of such areas to the evolution of our adaptive capabilities, this project will ....The evolution of human innovation in an arid biodiversity hotspot. This project will examine the archaeology and environmental history of South Africa’s Succulent Karoo, the world’s only arid biodiversity hotspot. Arid regions of Africa have historically been marginalised in accounts of human evolution yet recent evidence suggests that they were loci of innovation over the last 120 000 years. To explore the importance of such areas to the evolution of our adaptive capabilities, this project will produce comprehensive new datasets relating to the climatic, environmental, and social contexts of innovation among early humans occupying the site of Varsche Rivier 003. The results will test prevailing models of human behavioural evolution, shedding new light on how we came to be human. Read moreRead less
Resolving the Maya climate-collapse hypothesis. This project aims to test the climate-collapse theory by developing detailed records of climate and social change from Maya cities that did not collapse, and in doing so identify why some cities were more resilient to the impact of climatic variability than others. Catastrophic climate variability is often invoked to explain the historic collapse of large low-density urban centres in the global tropics. The collapse of the Maya civilisation of Cent ....Resolving the Maya climate-collapse hypothesis. This project aims to test the climate-collapse theory by developing detailed records of climate and social change from Maya cities that did not collapse, and in doing so identify why some cities were more resilient to the impact of climatic variability than others. Catastrophic climate variability is often invoked to explain the historic collapse of large low-density urban centres in the global tropics. The collapse of the Maya civilisation of Central America after the 8th century AD is the archetypal social collapse yet, despite robust evidence for drought across Central America, archaeological evidence suggests a heterogenous social response. This project will reveal what social, material, or environmental properties facilitated resiliency in historic urban centres confronting climatic variability.Read moreRead less
Crisis as Opportunity: Societal Change in Early Middle Kingdom Egypt. The project aims to address political and social shifts in the ancient Egyptian early Middle Kingdom c. 4000 years ago. For the first time, and with exclusive study concessions from the government of Egypt, material data of the two most significant cemeteries of the period will be investigated. The project not only expects to generate new knowledge about human interaction during crisis but will utilise interdisciplinary resear ....Crisis as Opportunity: Societal Change in Early Middle Kingdom Egypt. The project aims to address political and social shifts in the ancient Egyptian early Middle Kingdom c. 4000 years ago. For the first time, and with exclusive study concessions from the government of Egypt, material data of the two most significant cemeteries of the period will be investigated. The project not only expects to generate new knowledge about human interaction during crisis but will utilise interdisciplinary research strategies to investigate the emerging opportunities, such as social mobility, for individuals from all strata of society. It will provide significant benefits such as understanding the mechanics of post-crisis political leadership and the cultural impact that enabled the classical period of ancient Egypt to emerge.Read moreRead less
Bronzes of Xinjiang: technology, society and power on the road to China. This project aims to reveal the backstory to the remarkable development of bronze working in ancient China by studying complex pathways by which metallurgical knowledge spread there from Eurasia through the crossroads region of Xinjiang. It will generate new knowledge through the innovative use of mass elemental analysis of ancient metals from Xinjiang, providing important evidence for early metallurgical techniques. Expec ....Bronzes of Xinjiang: technology, society and power on the road to China. This project aims to reveal the backstory to the remarkable development of bronze working in ancient China by studying complex pathways by which metallurgical knowledge spread there from Eurasia through the crossroads region of Xinjiang. It will generate new knowledge through the innovative use of mass elemental analysis of ancient metals from Xinjiang, providing important evidence for early metallurgical techniques. Expected outcomes include enhanced understanding of the role of developing technology in the consolidation of regional power and its impact on social inequality. Partnerships between Australian, Chinese and UK institutions are expected to expand Australia’s research capability in archaeology, ancient mining and metallurgy. Read moreRead less
Urbanism after Angkor (14th-18th century). This project aims to understand changes after the breakdown of low-density urbanism in Cambodia. Recognising the emergence of urban forms after the demise of Angkor challenges the global “Collapse of Civilisation” trope, and redefines the Middle Period of Cambodian history (15th-19th century). This project proposes that continuity, renewal, variety and adaptation are as apparent in Cambodia’s middle period as loss and failure. Applying landscape archaeo ....Urbanism after Angkor (14th-18th century). This project aims to understand changes after the breakdown of low-density urbanism in Cambodia. Recognising the emergence of urban forms after the demise of Angkor challenges the global “Collapse of Civilisation” trope, and redefines the Middle Period of Cambodian history (15th-19th century). This project proposes that continuity, renewal, variety and adaptation are as apparent in Cambodia’s middle period as loss and failure. Applying landscape archaeology to this ‘dark age’ of Southeast Asian history embeds the demise of low-density urbanism and the development of towns in an environmental context. Identifying adaptive pathways after ‘collapse’ could have implications for urbanism in the tropics.Read moreRead less
Seth, God of Confusion: the archaeology of a cult centre in Egypt. This project aims to examine the growth and survival of the cult of Seth in Egypt's Western Desert against the background of the cult's suggested proscription elsewhere in the ancient state. Through detailed excavation and radiometric dating of the cult centre in Dakhleh Oasis, it aims to explore the proposition that the continued veneration of Seth can be read as a sign of regional independence. This is intended to challenge the ....Seth, God of Confusion: the archaeology of a cult centre in Egypt. This project aims to examine the growth and survival of the cult of Seth in Egypt's Western Desert against the background of the cult's suggested proscription elsewhere in the ancient state. Through detailed excavation and radiometric dating of the cult centre in Dakhleh Oasis, it aims to explore the proposition that the continued veneration of Seth can be read as a sign of regional independence. This is intended to challenge the orthodox view that Egypt operated as a monolithic state; reshaping how we approach ancient Egyptian religion and administration. In doing so, the study is expected to position an Australian research team at the forefront of contemporary scholarship on Egypt, enhancing our national reputation in the promotion and preservation of global heritage.Read moreRead less
Understanding long-term human-environmental interactions in South Asia. How did humans adapt to environmental change in the past? This project aims to address this question by examining the evidence provided by archaeological shell assemblages, a frequently overlooked residue of human habitation patterns. Deploying a range of high-resolution ecological and chemical techniques, this project aims to investigate changes in human behaviour, diet and landscape in one region through time and space. Th ....Understanding long-term human-environmental interactions in South Asia. How did humans adapt to environmental change in the past? This project aims to address this question by examining the evidence provided by archaeological shell assemblages, a frequently overlooked residue of human habitation patterns. Deploying a range of high-resolution ecological and chemical techniques, this project aims to investigate changes in human behaviour, diet and landscape in one region through time and space. The expected outcomes of this project will enhance our understanding of early human movement through South Asia into Australasia and generate new knowledge regarding the course of human adaptation to environmental changeRead moreRead less
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