A5072143658- Pleistocene-Era Hominins and Archaeology
- Archaeology and ancient environmental studies
- Geology and Paleoclimatology Research
- Pacific and Southeast Asian Studies
- Maritime and Coastal Archaeology
- Marine animal studies overview
- Asian American and Pacific Histories
- Archaeology and Rock Art Studies
- Geological formations and processes
- Isotope Analysis in Ecology
- Evolution and Paleontology Studies
- Indigenous Studies and Ecology
- Island Studies and Pacific Affairs
- Crafts, Textile, and Design
- Historical and Cultural Archaeology Studies
- Wildlife Ecology and Conservation
- Geological and Geophysical Studies
- Forensic Anthropology and Bioarchaeology Studies
- Culinary Culture and Tourism
- Cultural Heritage Management and Preservation
- Art Education and Development
- Global Maritime and Colonial Histories
- Archaeological Research and Protection
Monash University
2008-2024
ACT Government
2022
Australian Regenerative Medicine Institute
2017
Critics point out that a weakness of Lourandos' 'intensification' paradigm for southwestern Victoria is lack dates iconic fish traps the Lake Condah region. McNiven et al. (2012) detailed excavations at Muldoons Trap Complex in Gunditjmara Country, where charcoal recovered from channel infill sediments indicated initial construction least 6600 cal. BP, making site one world's oldest known traps. Channel also revealed addition basalt block walls dating to ca 600–800 BP. Subsequent second...
Abstract In societies without writing, ethnographically known rituals have rarely been tracked back archaeologically more than a few hundred years. At the invitation of GunaiKurnai Aboriginal Elders, we undertook archaeological excavations at Cloggs Cave in foothills Australian Alps. Country, caves were not used as residential places during early colonial period (mid-nineteenth century CE), but secluded retreats for performance by medicine men and women ‘mulla-mullung’, documented...
ABSTRACT Excavations at Badu 19 midden on the islet of Berberass in western Torres Strait have revealed a 4000 year antiquity for dugong hunting and finfishing, with major increases intensities site regional land use marine exploitation after 2600 years ago. We model nature late Holocene coastal resource specialisation intensification relation to changing demography availability.
Abstract Archaeological excavations on the island of Badu have for first time revealed evidence people in Torres Strait before 2500 years BP. We interpret this as representing three phases use and occupation. Phase 1 (8000–6000 BP), when high islands were part terminal Greater Australia, saw permanent occupation region. During 2 (6000‐c.3500/3000 Western Islands occasionally visited from Cape York. And 3 (c.3500/3000 BP to present) became occupied mainly by speakers languages with strong...
Abstract Koey Ngurtai is a small, uninhabited island located midway between the residential islands of Badu and Mabuyag in western Torres Strait. In 2003 2004, 100% surveys islet revealed 166 cultural sites. Fifty archaeological excavations were undertaken, revealing rich history use culminating with emergence as ritual centre after 550–700 cal BP, proliferation structures focused on dugong hunting magic 350–550 BP. Shortly arrival colonial powers Strait 1870s, including pearl shelling...
New research undertaken at Cloggs Cave, in the foothills of Australian Alps, employed an integrated geological-geomorphological-archaeological approach with manifold dating methods and fine resolution LiDAR 3D mapping. Long-standing questions about site's chronostratigraphy (e.g. exact relationship between basal megafaunal deposits archaeological layers), sedimentation processes geomorphic changes were resolved. The cave's formation history was reconstructed to understand its changing...
In this paper we report on new research at the iconic archaeological site of Cloggs Cave (GunaiKurnai Country), in southern foothills SE Australia's Great Dividing Range. Detailed chronometric dating, combined with high-resolution 3D mapping, geomorphological studies and excavations, now allow a dense sequence Late Holocene ash layers their contents to be correlated GunaiKurnai ethnography current knowledge. These results suggest critical re-interpretation what Old People were, were not,...
A team of Elders and community officials from the island Mua in Torres Straits got together with archaeologists Australia to study an episode which occurred on before coming Christianity 1871. Oral tradition located burial place father ancestral islander named Goba, investigation a rock shelter nearby gave dated sequence occupation fresh sighting paintings, all relating period. Each type evidence context other, project offered vivid example how history is fashioned.
Bu (Syrinx aruanus) shell arrangements are often found in ritual sites across Torres Strait. The position of such within Indigenous cosmologies has been ethnographically documented for the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. This article historicizes spiritscapes by tracking back time history this particular material expression spiritual belief Western We argue that last c. 400 years saw major shifts engagements with seascapes Straits. These transformations may have responses to traumatic...
ABSTRACT This paper provides the first detailed excavation report published for an Aboriginal stone house from south‐west Victoria. Stone sites have generated considerable debate in Australian archaeology terms of late Holocene intensification and claims village‐scale settlements sedentism. Fine‐grained KSH‐1 within Budj Bim (stony rises) cultural landscape revealed construction directly on to lava bedrock. Shallow sediments contained numerous flaked flint bottle glass artefacts, a...
Tigershark Rockshelter, a small midden site on the sacred islet of Pulu in central western Zenadh Kes (Torres Strait), was visited intermittently by groups marine specialists between 500 and 1300 years ago. The diverse faunal assemblage demonstrates procurement turtle, dugong, shellfish, fish, shark ray from mangrove, reef open water environments. Apart characteristic flaked quartz technology, contains shell body adornments. Establishment Rockshelter reveals increasing preference for...
AbstarctThe Argan stone arrangement complex of the island Badu is a series mainly geometrically shaped formations that together extend for 1km along an isolated ridge-top in Western Torres Strait. Here we report on archaeological excavations at this ritual site first attempt to historicise Badulgal spiritscapes.
Abstract Palaeontological animal bone deposits are rarely investigated through research partnerships where the local First Nations communities have a defining hand in both questions asked and processes. Here we report undertaken such partnership approach at iconic archaeological site of Cloggs Cave (GunaiKurnai Country, East Gippsland), southern foothills SE Australia's Great Dividing Range. A new excavation was combined with detailed chronometric dating, high‐resolution 3D mapping...
This paper provides new insights into the long-term history of Aboriginal use mountainous Victoria over past 25,000 years. It presents results excavations at Garden Range 2 rock art site located on edge Strathbogie Ranges in central Victoria. The were a research collaboration between Taungurung Land and Waters Council (TLaWC) Monash University. Results indicate possible ephemeral visitation by Old People during Last Glacial Maximum, clear evidence occupation 11,000 years, increased activity...
Recent excavations at Millukmungee 1, a limestone rock shelter along the upper bank of Buchan River in GunaiKurnai Country (southeastern Australia), uncovered archaeological evidence Mid- to Late Holocene occupation spanning c. 5000 years. Here we report on stone artefacts and faunal remains, especially light paucity published details artefact types technologies for this part southeast Australia. Results indicate that site was occupied only rarely from 5590–5050 cal BP (the uncertainty range...
Claims for a human presence in Australia beyond 60,000 years ago must have strong evidence base associated with rigorous methodology and intense scrutiny. In this light we present excavation results Charcoal Burnt Stone Feature #1 (CBS1) located within coastal dune sediments at Moyjil (Point Ritchie), Warrnambool, that independent geomorphic OSL dating indicates is of Last Interglacial age (~120,000 ago). While on plausibility grounds the cultural status feature such great antiquity...
Archaeological investigations have documented an ideological and occupied frontier in the Lower Tagali Valley along southern margins of Highlands Papua New Guinea. Open-area excavations document two types house structure associated with Huli occupation landscape, a women's ( wandia ) lodge ceremonial complex bachelor cult ibagiyaanda) . Excavation revealed complete floor plan site multiple structural elements complex. Radiocarbon dating provides chronology for both sites that accords...