Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE160100703
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$346,536.00
Summary
The Drumbeat of Human Evolution: Climate Proxies from Rockshelter Sediments. This project aims to trial new techniques for extracting environmental information from the sediments contained within archaeological rock shelters. Homo sapiens evolved during a period of dramatic climate variation, which almost certainly influenced human development and global dispersal. High-resolution climate records are rarely available for Pleistocene archaeological sites and so it is challenging to quantify the d ....The Drumbeat of Human Evolution: Climate Proxies from Rockshelter Sediments. This project aims to trial new techniques for extracting environmental information from the sediments contained within archaeological rock shelters. Homo sapiens evolved during a period of dramatic climate variation, which almost certainly influenced human development and global dispersal. High-resolution climate records are rarely available for Pleistocene archaeological sites and so it is challenging to quantify the degree of behavioural response to environmental change. This project aims to apply novel geophysical and geochemical techniques to provide new climate records for Indonesia and South Africa, facilitate correlation with other climate archives and thus create a means of directly evaluating the degree of environmental influence on human behavioural evolution.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE160100743
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$388,496.00
Summary
Luminescence dating of Middle Pleistocene human histories in Europe. This project aims to ascertain the timing, context and nature of early human evolution and associated cultural turnovers in southern Europe using cutting-edge dating techniques. The project plans to use recent advances in extended-range luminescence dating to establish unequivocal, multifaceted chronologies for a comprehensive range of human fossil and stone tool sites from the Iberian Peninsula. The outcomes of this project ar ....Luminescence dating of Middle Pleistocene human histories in Europe. This project aims to ascertain the timing, context and nature of early human evolution and associated cultural turnovers in southern Europe using cutting-edge dating techniques. The project plans to use recent advances in extended-range luminescence dating to establish unequivocal, multifaceted chronologies for a comprehensive range of human fossil and stone tool sites from the Iberian Peninsula. The outcomes of this project are expected to advance our understanding of early human history by providing a critical temporal reappraisal of modelled hominin evolutionary relationships, determining the mode and tempo of cultural turnovers, and unravelling how past human populations responded to major climate change and environmental pressures.Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE210100037
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$279,591.00
Summary
A National Facility for the 3D Imaging of the Near Surface. This proposal aims to fund the establishment of a National Facility for the 3D Imaging of the Near Surface. It aims to provide Australian researchers with access to next-generation geophysical instruments for high-resolution landscape scale mapping of the shallow subsurface. The expansive size and impressive density of these data can fundamentally change the research questions that can be asked in the fields of archaeology, earth, envir ....A National Facility for the 3D Imaging of the Near Surface. This proposal aims to fund the establishment of a National Facility for the 3D Imaging of the Near Surface. It aims to provide Australian researchers with access to next-generation geophysical instruments for high-resolution landscape scale mapping of the shallow subsurface. The expansive size and impressive density of these data can fundamentally change the research questions that can be asked in the fields of archaeology, earth, environmental and forensic science. This integrated suite of equipment is currently not available in the Southern Hemisphere and will, if funded, position Australia at the forefront of the exciting field of near surface geophysics and facilitate collaboration with partner institutions in Asia, Africa and Oceania.Read moreRead less
Early human dispersal: identifying the key environmental drivers. This project aims to investigate if environmental or human evolutionary processes drove the dispersal of early humans eastwards from Africa into Southeast Asia—and beyond into Australia. The project will examine archaeological sediments using an Earth-science approach, providing direct links between cultural and environmental records. The project will reveal the types of environment that were favored by early humans and provide a ....Early human dispersal: identifying the key environmental drivers. This project aims to investigate if environmental or human evolutionary processes drove the dispersal of early humans eastwards from Africa into Southeast Asia—and beyond into Australia. The project will examine archaeological sediments using an Earth-science approach, providing direct links between cultural and environmental records. The project will reveal the types of environment that were favored by early humans and provide a greater understanding of the role of environmental change on the colonisation of new environments. Read moreRead less
Shedding light on Neanderthal histories using luminescence chronologies. This project aims to develop unprecedented reconstructions of Neanderthal evolution, cultural and extinction histories at previously undatable or understudied European archaeology sites using a versatile luminescence dating toolkit. It will integrate multiple dating methods, palaeoclimate proxies and palaeoecological data to provide comprehensive knowledge of the timing, context and nature of Neanderthal evolution. Expected ....Shedding light on Neanderthal histories using luminescence chronologies. This project aims to develop unprecedented reconstructions of Neanderthal evolution, cultural and extinction histories at previously undatable or understudied European archaeology sites using a versatile luminescence dating toolkit. It will integrate multiple dating methods, palaeoclimate proxies and palaeoecological data to provide comprehensive knowledge of the timing, context and nature of Neanderthal evolution. Expected outcomes include unravelling past human responses to climate change, elucidating regional occupation patterns, emergence of complex behaviours, and causes of Neanderthal demise; with benefits for refining our own species deep-time evolutionary trajectory and global expansion across different regions, including Australia.Read moreRead less
Ochre archaeomicrobiology: a new tool for understanding Aboriginal exchange. This project aims to identify the origins and movements of Australian archaeological ochre through the development of a novel tool combining genomic and chemical analysis. The geographic distribution of Australian ochre is closely linked to Aboriginal creation stories, while its physical distribution by people is evidence of cultural cooperation. Using this new archaeomicrobiological technique, the project aims to answe ....Ochre archaeomicrobiology: a new tool for understanding Aboriginal exchange. This project aims to identify the origins and movements of Australian archaeological ochre through the development of a novel tool combining genomic and chemical analysis. The geographic distribution of Australian ochre is closely linked to Aboriginal creation stories, while its physical distribution by people is evidence of cultural cooperation. Using this new archaeomicrobiological technique, the project aims to answer significant questions about past human behaviour, in terms of trade, cultural interactions, territoriality and colonisation. The method also has the potential to benefit traditional owners by contributing to repatriation projects. The collaborative detailed recording, sampling and analysis of ochre sources on traditional lands will also assist Aboriginal communities to manage this important aspect of their cultural heritage.Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE140100151
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$400,000.00
Summary
Federated Archaeological Information Management Systems project: Transforming archaeological research through digital technologies. Federated archaeological information management systems project: transforming archaeological research through digital technologies: This project will embed the federated archaeological information management systems infrastructure within six leading archaeology departments across Australia. It will develop and expand the mobile field recording system, the national d ....Federated Archaeological Information Management Systems project: Transforming archaeological research through digital technologies. Federated archaeological information management systems project: transforming archaeological research through digital technologies: This project will embed the federated archaeological information management systems infrastructure within six leading archaeology departments across Australia. It will develop and expand the mobile field recording system, the national data repository and a suite of online editing and visualisation tools to support archaeologists conducting research projects of national significance. By working closely with research projects and integrating the mobile platform and digital infrastructure within their workflow, this project will ensure that Australian archaeological research data is created in digital, structured, and reusable form, benefiting the preservation of Australian cultural heritage and promoting new research for decades to come.Read moreRead less