The origin of the First Australians: a genomic approach. The earliest known inhabitants of Australia lived more than 42,000 years ago on the shores of Lake Mungo. This project will present data that show it is feasible to recover complete genomes of some early Australians, in addition to the sex and mitochondrial genomes of others. These data will provide a new understanding of the robust and gracile morphologies of these people, as well as the dispersal patterns of modern humans out of Africa. ....The origin of the First Australians: a genomic approach. The earliest known inhabitants of Australia lived more than 42,000 years ago on the shores of Lake Mungo. This project will present data that show it is feasible to recover complete genomes of some early Australians, in addition to the sex and mitochondrial genomes of others. These data will provide a new understanding of the robust and gracile morphologies of these people, as well as the dispersal patterns of modern humans out of Africa. Ideas about Australia’s First People have been central to the development of theories about the origin of modern humans generally, and therefore this study will be of international significance. Read moreRead less
The origin of the first Australians. Using new DNA methods researchers aim to uncover the origins of the first Australians and to provide new evidence for when people came here and where they came from. This exciting work aims to determine some of the physical and metabolic characteristics of these early people.
Assessing lithic evidence for the impact of the Toba super-eruption (74,000 years ago) on long-term cultural, biological and ecological histories on the Indian subcontinent. Human evolution in India has significant implications for the origins of the first Australians, and will contribute to understanding our shared and recent common ancestry and the emergence of human diversity. This project demonstrates that Australia is committed to understanding the origins of modern humans and solving resea ....Assessing lithic evidence for the impact of the Toba super-eruption (74,000 years ago) on long-term cultural, biological and ecological histories on the Indian subcontinent. Human evolution in India has significant implications for the origins of the first Australians, and will contribute to understanding our shared and recent common ancestry and the emergence of human diversity. This project demonstrates that Australia is committed to understanding the origins of modern humans and solving research problems within and beyond our geographic region. Australian archaeological innovations, when applied to global issues, will showcase Australian scientific expertise and achievements. The international collaborative nature of the project demonstrates Australian universities are engaged in high-profile research. The project will also train high-quality research students and create new collaborative initiatives. Read moreRead less
The Atacama and Australian mining companies: identity, intercultural communication and negotiation in northern Chile. The involvement by state administrations and global corporations in planning for social responsibility in mining and the resulting negotiations with citizens - especially groups identified as indigenous - brings a range of people into dialogue. However, these contexts are under-researched. The proposed project will contribute an independent study of relationships between Chilean ....The Atacama and Australian mining companies: identity, intercultural communication and negotiation in northern Chile. The involvement by state administrations and global corporations in planning for social responsibility in mining and the resulting negotiations with citizens - especially groups identified as indigenous - brings a range of people into dialogue. However, these contexts are under-researched. The proposed project will contribute an independent study of relationships between Chilean citizens, Australian mining companies and the state in northern Chile. It seeks to provide theoretical insights and offer practical information in academic and plain language for local negotiators, global business and state administration: a timely analysis given recently (2008) signed Free Trade Agreement with Chile.Read moreRead less
A desire for things: an investigation of the inter-relations of art making, consumption and exchange among Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara. This project will deliver an understanding of the motivations of artists when they make art and craft work to sell and the consumer goods that they choose to acquire from their resulting earnings. This project will establish insights into how Anangu earn and spend their money and the connections that they perceive between these.
Contingent development in regional India: ethnographies of neoliberal globalisation in Gujarat and West Bengal. This project aims to understand the regional impacts of globalisation in India by comparing and contrasting two regional towns and their hinterlands (Anand, Gujarat and Darjeeling, West Bengal). Develop a more comprehensive, localised and regionalised account of the neoliberal globalisation process in India.
The African origins of Asian and Australian lithic technologies: Exploring modern human origins and dispersals using new techniques of core analysis. This project will demonstrate that Australia is committed to understanding the origins of modern humans and solving research problems within and beyond our geographic region. The history of modern human evolution in Africa has significant implications for the origins of the first Australians, Indians and Asians and will contribute to an understandi ....The African origins of Asian and Australian lithic technologies: Exploring modern human origins and dispersals using new techniques of core analysis. This project will demonstrate that Australia is committed to understanding the origins of modern humans and solving research problems within and beyond our geographic region. The history of modern human evolution in Africa has significant implications for the origins of the first Australians, Indians and Asians and will contribute to an understanding of our shared and recent common ancestry and the emergence of human diversity. Australian archaeological innovations, especially when applied to global issues such as human evolution, will continue to showcase Australian scientific expertise and achievements. The study of problem-solving and technological innovation will help understand the sophisticated nature of early Australian peoples.Read moreRead less
Objects of possession: artefact transactions in the wet tropics of North Queensland, 1870 -2013. The project's research into artefact collecting will provide Indigenous peoples, museum curators and other community members with important insights into the history of Indigenous cultures in the Wet Tropics region. Our project will contribute to the development of innovative ways of presenting Indigenous peoples' connections with their cultural heritage.
Land and identity: comparative studies of belonging in Australia's gulf country. This study will deliver understanding of people's cultural identities and the landscapes they value highly in the north Australian Gulf Country. Outcomes will include better understanding of native title claims, of non- Aboriginal relationships with land and nature, and cross-cultural beliefs about native and introduced plants and animals.
Farmers of the Future: the Challenges of Feminised Agriculture in India. Neoliberal economic policies are fundamentally transforming the social landscapes of rural India, causing a deep agrarian crisis. The agrarian changes accentuate the unequal consequences for poor women and men in relation to: production (labour, tenure); livelihood and food security; access to and ownership of assets such as land and water and access to agricultural innovations and institutions. This multiscalar project inv ....Farmers of the Future: the Challenges of Feminised Agriculture in India. Neoliberal economic policies are fundamentally transforming the social landscapes of rural India, causing a deep agrarian crisis. The agrarian changes accentuate the unequal consequences for poor women and men in relation to: production (labour, tenure); livelihood and food security; access to and ownership of assets such as land and water and access to agricultural innovations and institutions. This multiscalar project investigates the causes and consequences of feminisation of agriculture in India’s transitioning economy in order to understand how gender roles and relations are being re-shaped in communities and households in diverse socioeconomic and cultural contexts and agro-ecological areas.Read moreRead less