Suburban archaeology: approaching an archaeology of the middle class in 19th century Melbourne. This project has three main benefits. First, it will help Australians understand more about the richness and diversity of urban experience in the country, thereby enhancing the heritage value of Museum collections drawn from urban archaeological sites. Second, by focusing on the historical archaeology of the emergent middle class in Australia we will improve our understanding of the history of Austral ....Suburban archaeology: approaching an archaeology of the middle class in 19th century Melbourne. This project has three main benefits. First, it will help Australians understand more about the richness and diversity of urban experience in the country, thereby enhancing the heritage value of Museum collections drawn from urban archaeological sites. Second, by focusing on the historical archaeology of the emergent middle class in Australia we will improve our understanding of the history of Australian society during a crucial period. Last, it will enrich the social and cultural histories of Australia through a deeper and closer integration of archaeological and written historical information.Read moreRead less
A Historical archaeology of the Commonwealth Block 1850-1950. This project has three benefits. First, it will help Australians understand more about the richness and diversity of urban experience in our nation, thereby enhancing the heritage value of Museum collections drawn from urban archaeological sites. Second, transnational approaches to the archaeology of the modern world, with their focus on the movement of people, capital and technology will improve our understanding of the consequences ....A Historical archaeology of the Commonwealth Block 1850-1950. This project has three benefits. First, it will help Australians understand more about the richness and diversity of urban experience in our nation, thereby enhancing the heritage value of Museum collections drawn from urban archaeological sites. Second, transnational approaches to the archaeology of the modern world, with their focus on the movement of people, capital and technology will improve our understanding of the consequences of migration, and of the creation of global economies and local identities. Last, it will enrich the social and cultural histories of Australia through a deeper and closer integration of archaeological and written historical information.Read moreRead less
Making Room for the Past: Determining significance in archaeological collections from historic sites. As a consequence of a recent rapid increase in archaeological excavations, Australian museums no longer have resources to store or conserve all archaeological material and require a systematic means of establishing collection management priorities. Through industry and academic consultation and case studies of particular collections, this research will develop criteria for assessing the research ....Making Room for the Past: Determining significance in archaeological collections from historic sites. As a consequence of a recent rapid increase in archaeological excavations, Australian museums no longer have resources to store or conserve all archaeological material and require a systematic means of establishing collection management priorities. Through industry and academic consultation and case studies of particular collections, this research will develop criteria for assessing the research potential or scientific significance of individual artefacts and entire collections from historic sites. Along with recognised measures of social and historical significance, the criteria will provide guidelines with which museums can develop national management strategies for this unique heritage.Read moreRead less
Acheulian to Middle Stone Age transition at Amanzi Springs, South Africa. This project aims to excavate and date the Amanzi Springs archaeological complex. From 600 to 300,000 years ago, Acheulian stone tool technology, defined by large generalised cutting tools, changed to a Middle Stone Age industry dominated by smaller, specialised technology (points/blades). This transition is poorly defined throughout Africa due to lack of layered archaeological sites at high resolution that can be dated. T ....Acheulian to Middle Stone Age transition at Amanzi Springs, South Africa. This project aims to excavate and date the Amanzi Springs archaeological complex. From 600 to 300,000 years ago, Acheulian stone tool technology, defined by large generalised cutting tools, changed to a Middle Stone Age industry dominated by smaller, specialised technology (points/blades). This transition is poorly defined throughout Africa due to lack of layered archaeological sites at high resolution that can be dated. The project will provide a detailed record of changes in technology across the Early to Middle Stone Age transition. The project could increase our understanding of the climatological, ecological and biological processes that shaped our shared ancestry.Read moreRead less
Life on the Edge: Pre-Gold Rush Settlement in South Gippsland, Victoria. The project will contribute materialist perpectives to the understanding of the development of the Port Phillip Colony. The project provides a thematic, contextual study as called for in the National Cultural Heritage Forum's 'Vision for Australia's Cultural Heritage' and required to support the new national heritage legislation. The project exemplifies the 'whole environment' approach identified in the present review of ....Life on the Edge: Pre-Gold Rush Settlement in South Gippsland, Victoria. The project will contribute materialist perpectives to the understanding of the development of the Port Phillip Colony. The project provides a thematic, contextual study as called for in the National Cultural Heritage Forum's 'Vision for Australia's Cultural Heritage' and required to support the new national heritage legislation. The project exemplifies the 'whole environment' approach identified in the present review of the Victorian Heritage Strategy by providing interpretations of setting, context, and broader cultural landscapes. The project will contribute to the enhancement of regional tourism product content by increasing the knowledge of one of the key heritage assets of the region. 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
Unraveling the mystery of the Plain of Jars, Laos. Since their discovery in the 1930s, the mysterious collections of giant stone jars scattered throughout central Laos have remained one of the great prehistoric puzzles of south-east (SE) Asia. It is thought that the jars represent the mortuary remains of an extensive and powerful Iron Age culture. This project seeks to determine the true nature of these sites, which date to a dynamic period of increasing complexity in SE Asia (c.500BCE-500CE). T ....Unraveling the mystery of the Plain of Jars, Laos. Since their discovery in the 1930s, the mysterious collections of giant stone jars scattered throughout central Laos have remained one of the great prehistoric puzzles of south-east (SE) Asia. It is thought that the jars represent the mortuary remains of an extensive and powerful Iron Age culture. This project seeks to determine the true nature of these sites, which date to a dynamic period of increasing complexity in SE Asia (c.500BCE-500CE). The project entails extensive reconnaissance, precision mapping, archaeological excavation and analysis of associated burial material. Using a suite of cutting-edge archaeological technologies, it is expected to have far-reaching benefits for archaeology, science, Laos and World Heritage.Read moreRead less
Seascapes, Sea People, and Indigenous Knowledge: Maritime heritage at the land/sea interface. This project will educate the broader Australian community of the complexities of Indigenous maritime heritage, by producing a clear understanding of the ways Indigenous people define and maintain seascapes. This research involves working with the Yanyuwa Aboriginal community to record knowledge of the sea, examining 'new', 'old', gendered, and generational knowledge associated with sea territories. By ....Seascapes, Sea People, and Indigenous Knowledge: Maritime heritage at the land/sea interface. This project will educate the broader Australian community of the complexities of Indigenous maritime heritage, by producing a clear understanding of the ways Indigenous people define and maintain seascapes. This research involves working with the Yanyuwa Aboriginal community to record knowledge of the sea, examining 'new', 'old', gendered, and generational knowledge associated with sea territories. By widely disseminating the results, we will reveal important details of the complexities of sustaining the biodiversity and cultural makeup of Australian seascapes. Furthermore, this Project will provide vital knowledge for the management of coastal regions in an era of predicated sea level rise.Read moreRead less
The Kaurareg Archaeological Project, south-Western Torres Strait, Australia. This project will be used to foster a greater awareness of the history of Aboriginal occupation in the Torres Strait islands, as well as furthering our understanding of past and present relationships between groups in Torres Strait, Cape York and Papua New Guinea. The research seeks to understand the southern-most limits of early Papuan influences into the Torres Strait islands and investigate the notion of a distincti ....The Kaurareg Archaeological Project, south-Western Torres Strait, Australia. This project will be used to foster a greater awareness of the history of Aboriginal occupation in the Torres Strait islands, as well as furthering our understanding of past and present relationships between groups in Torres Strait, Cape York and Papua New Guinea. The research seeks to understand the southern-most limits of early Papuan influences into the Torres Strait islands and investigate the notion of a distinctive Aboriginal signature in the archaeological record from the Kaurareg Archipelago (south-Western Torres Strait islands). This project will also record contemporary perspectives from the traditional owners of the Kaurareg Archipelago (the Kaurareg Aboriginal community) to better understand interregional relationships today. Read moreRead less
Cultural change in its environmental context: exploring, interpreting, and managing archaeologically rich, large-scale cultural landscapes in the Mediterranean Basin. (1) Production of a Holocene climate history and evaluation of long-term human response to environmental change in Mediterranean to continental climate zones. (2) Development of relationships with international researchers, including leading scholars from Italy, Bulgaria, the United States, and the Netherlands. (3) Extension of Aus ....Cultural change in its environmental context: exploring, interpreting, and managing archaeologically rich, large-scale cultural landscapes in the Mediterranean Basin. (1) Production of a Holocene climate history and evaluation of long-term human response to environmental change in Mediterranean to continental climate zones. (2) Development of relationships with international researchers, including leading scholars from Italy, Bulgaria, the United States, and the Netherlands. (3) Extension of Australia's leadership in Mediterranean archaeology to the Balkans through building institutional relationships and initiating a presence in Bulgaria (arguably the most promising country in its region for archaeological research). (4) Development of innovative remote sensing methods for archaeological reconnaissance with wide applicability, including in Australian contexts and by other Australian research projects.Read moreRead less