You may have heard about the Icelandic Sagas, featuring Viking voyages, migrations and family feuds but did you know about the Sagas on your doorstep? In 2014, Western and Eastern Torres Strait Islanders recruited an archaeologist to excavate sites associated with Waiat. This wandering culture hero brought new knowledge to communities along a 240km pathway spanning Papua New Guinea also western, central and eastern Torres Strait. In this lecture we explore a 130 year old saga and provide archaeological results from key sites along this trackway. We examine complex and transitioning rituals on Australia’s northern border and discuss the important role mythology plays encoding human histories.
About the speaker: Duncan Wright is a Senior Lecturer at the Australian National University’s School of Archaeology and Anthropology with a research interest in mythology. Wright practices partnership archaeology, involving collaborations with Torres Strait Islander and Australian Aboriginal communities who seek to historicise (through archaeology, including rock art) practices and places of social, political and/ or spiritual significance. Currently he has active projects in Torres Strait, Arnhem Land and Czech Republic.
Presented by the Canberra Archaeological Society as part of the CAS 2020 Seminar Series, and hosted by the Centre for Archaeological Research and the Australian National University.
When: 4-5pm (Canberra time / AEST), Sunday 17 May 2020 (a recording of the seminar will be available for the whole of National Archaeology Week, through the Canberra Archaeological Society website)
Where: Free online seminar streamed via Zoom (registration details below)
Register in advance for this webinar: https://anu.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_dBT-L5KaQ2-SLWfoJSUkCw
Or an H.323/SIP room system:
H.323: 113.197.7.78 or 113.197.7.79
Meeting ID: 967 8300 8325
SIP: 96783008325@113.197.7.78 or 96783008325@113.197.7.79
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.
For more information: visit www.canberraarchaeologicalsociety.com.au/events.html or download the flyer.