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Food, drink and sociality in the early Roman Empire and their significance for understanding ancient family and community life. To understand and be secure in the present we must understand the past. The Roman world was multi-cultural and multi-ethnic - a foundation for modern European and Mediterranean cultures. It, therefore, has deep significance for contemporary Australia and its migrant populations. Knowledge of Roman social practices can provide unique insights into issues and dilemmas fac ....Food, drink and sociality in the early Roman Empire and their significance for understanding ancient family and community life. To understand and be secure in the present we must understand the past. The Roman world was multi-cultural and multi-ethnic - a foundation for modern European and Mediterranean cultures. It, therefore, has deep significance for contemporary Australia and its migrant populations. Knowledge of Roman social practices can provide unique insights into issues and dilemmas facing Australian society. Eating behaviours and food practices are of great public interest and understanding the foodways of people in the past is vital to these debates. This project also places Australia at the forefront of archaeological research and guarantees its international prominence in Roman social history.Read moreRead less
Development and application of the Uranium-series method for dating ancient rock engravings. Radiocarbon dating has been used to establish the age of relatively recent Australian rock art, but the ages of ancient engravings cannot be measured beyond the limit of this method. Comparative radiocarbon and uranium-series assays will be made on pairs of test samples collected from natural mineral deposits at engraving locations constrained by the ages of lakes, lava flows, sedimentary deposits or ic ....Development and application of the Uranium-series method for dating ancient rock engravings. Radiocarbon dating has been used to establish the age of relatively recent Australian rock art, but the ages of ancient engravings cannot be measured beyond the limit of this method. Comparative radiocarbon and uranium-series assays will be made on pairs of test samples collected from natural mineral deposits at engraving locations constrained by the ages of lakes, lava flows, sedimentary deposits or ice. Using test samples with independent and radiocarbon age controls will give confidence in the uranium dating approach for reliably measuring the ages of similar coatings associated with ancient carvings and exposed rock surfaces throughout the world.Read moreRead less
Kin and connection: Ancient DNA between the science and the social. This project aims to capitalise on the emerging wealth of ancient DNA data to build bridges between social and scientific archaeologies. It expects to create new knowledge by integrating genetic data with social models of kinship, applying an innovative, cross-disciplinary methodology to the uniquely rich and well-documented archaeological record of prehistoric Europe. Expected outcomes include a new framework for understanding ....Kin and connection: Ancient DNA between the science and the social. This project aims to capitalise on the emerging wealth of ancient DNA data to build bridges between social and scientific archaeologies. It expects to create new knowledge by integrating genetic data with social models of kinship, applying an innovative, cross-disciplinary methodology to the uniquely rich and well-documented archaeological record of prehistoric Europe. Expected outcomes include a new framework for understanding past kinship and the formation of a new interdisciplinary and international research network. Significant benefits include increased value of legacy collections, capacity building in archaeology, and positioning Australia at the forefront of major developments in ancient DNA and archaeological science.Read moreRead less
Special Research Initiatives - Grant ID: SR0354580
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$10,000.00
Summary
Sustainable Futures through Understanding Past Human Responses to Environmental Change. This Network brings together researchers within archaeology and environmental sciences to develop cross-disciplinary and internationally comparative approaches to understanding past human responses to rapid environmental change. Integration of skills and perspectives from the Humanities and Sciences will create a generation of scholars able to work across different theoretical frameworks to formulate credible ....Sustainable Futures through Understanding Past Human Responses to Environmental Change. This Network brings together researchers within archaeology and environmental sciences to develop cross-disciplinary and internationally comparative approaches to understanding past human responses to rapid environmental change. Integration of skills and perspectives from the Humanities and Sciences will create a generation of scholars able to work across different theoretical frameworks to formulate credible responses to the challenge of creating sustainable societies in a changing world. Through a greater understanding of past societies' reactions to rapid environmental change, the Network will build on existing leading edge research and create a more informed guide to a sustainable future.Read moreRead less
The recognition, interpretation and management of significant rock art and related dreaming (Jukurrpa) sites on the Canning Stock Route, Western Australia. The Canning Stock Route is an iconic linear transect of profound importance to a variety of parties: the original inhabitants of the Western Desert, surveyors and drovers who used it in the 20th century and more recently tourists and outback adventurers. Systematic documentation, mapping and synthesis of Indigenous cultural values of the Cann ....The recognition, interpretation and management of significant rock art and related dreaming (Jukurrpa) sites on the Canning Stock Route, Western Australia. The Canning Stock Route is an iconic linear transect of profound importance to a variety of parties: the original inhabitants of the Western Desert, surveyors and drovers who used it in the 20th century and more recently tourists and outback adventurers. Systematic documentation, mapping and synthesis of Indigenous cultural values of the Canning Stock Route will provide a unique resource of benefit to traditional custodians as well as the wider community. Accurate information on sites, places and landscapes and their cultural and scientific values should underpin successful management, protection of sites and sustainable use of the Canning Stock Route into the future.Read moreRead less
Bayini, Macassans, Balanda and Bininij: A Case Study of Indigenous Cultural Heritage Management and Tourism in West Arnhemland Northern Territory. Contact between cultures is a defining theme in history and is especially relevant to contemporary Australia. The timing of contact between South East Asians and Europeans with Aboriginal communities in Arnhem Land is of great historical significance to Australia. This knowledge will enhance the national heritage registration efforts for cultural heri ....Bayini, Macassans, Balanda and Bininij: A Case Study of Indigenous Cultural Heritage Management and Tourism in West Arnhemland Northern Territory. Contact between cultures is a defining theme in history and is especially relevant to contemporary Australia. The timing of contact between South East Asians and Europeans with Aboriginal communities in Arnhem Land is of great historical significance to Australia. This knowledge will enhance the national heritage registration efforts for cultural heritage places in the region. Conservation efforts will be undertaken for the first time for these potentially world heritage significant Indigenous cultural heritage places. Indigenous communities will potentially make significant economic gains from developing sustainable land management and cultural tourism initiatives through the results and skills obtained from his project.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE130101703
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$350,505.00
Summary
Mission archaeology and colonial encounters in Southern Vanuatu. The remains of Christian missions in southern Vanuatu are important heritage sites for local communities, and for their place in world history as part of one of the final frontiers of European colonialism. This project explores these sites to produce a new picture of everyday life that includes the perspectives of missionaries and native people.
3000 Years of settlement and interaction in southern Vanuatu. This project aims to conduct an archaeological survey of Vanuatu. One of archaeology's most significant contributions is providing models for the emergence of cultural diversity through time. Vanuatu is one of the most diverse regions on Earth. The southern islands were an important hub in early settlement and long-term inter-island interactions of Island Melanesia. Yet little is known about the origins of cultural contacts and divers ....3000 Years of settlement and interaction in southern Vanuatu. This project aims to conduct an archaeological survey of Vanuatu. One of archaeology's most significant contributions is providing models for the emergence of cultural diversity through time. Vanuatu is one of the most diverse regions on Earth. The southern islands were an important hub in early settlement and long-term inter-island interactions of Island Melanesia. Yet little is known about the origins of cultural contacts and diversity in the area. A major archaeological survey of the Polynesian outliers Futuna and Aniwa and neighbouring islands Tanna and Aneityum would greatly improve our knowledge of settlement patterns, long-distance exchange, and cross-cultural interaction in the region, from initial Lapita settlement 3000 years ago through to the arrival of Christian missionaries in the 1860s.Read moreRead less
Persistence and transformation in Ancestral Oceanic Society: the archaeology of the first 1500 years in the Vanuatu archipelago. Supporting research programs with smaller Pacific Island neighbours fosters Australia's relationship with those countries generally. The project will contribute to regional capacity building in the areas of archaeology, heritage studies and management. This research will enhance understanding of the region's deep human past and the way it articulates historically with ....Persistence and transformation in Ancestral Oceanic Society: the archaeology of the first 1500 years in the Vanuatu archipelago. Supporting research programs with smaller Pacific Island neighbours fosters Australia's relationship with those countries generally. The project will contribute to regional capacity building in the areas of archaeology, heritage studies and management. This research will enhance understanding of the region's deep human past and the way it articulates historically with the rest of the world. It will advance Australia's understanding of its nearest neighbours as well as provide those neighbours with information that goes towards strengthening national identity. The proposed research has direct relevance to ongoing debates within Australian and World archaeology and related disciplines, and fosters international collaborative links. Read moreRead less
Northern Vanuatu as a Pacific Crossroads: The archaeology of discovery, interaction and the emergence of the ethnographic present. The project addresses the National Research Priority Goal of "Understanding our Region and the World". Supporting research programs with smaller Pacific Island neighbours such as Vanuatu fosters Australia's relationship with those countries generally. This research will strengthen our knowledge of the region's deep human past. It will advance Australia's understandin ....Northern Vanuatu as a Pacific Crossroads: The archaeology of discovery, interaction and the emergence of the ethnographic present. The project addresses the National Research Priority Goal of "Understanding our Region and the World". Supporting research programs with smaller Pacific Island neighbours such as Vanuatu fosters Australia's relationship with those countries generally. This research will strengthen our knowledge of the region's deep human past. It will advance Australia's understanding of its nearest neighbours as well as provide those neighbours with information they can use to shape their own views of their past and its relationship to their present. The proposed research has direct relevance to on-going debates within world archaeology and related disciplines.Read moreRead less