Ebbe Hayes
Current position
Director of MicroTrace Archaeology Pty Ltd and Honorary Research Fellow at the University of Melbourne
Where did you study?
University of Wollongong
How did you become interested in archaeology?
I discovered archaeology by accident! While studying science at university, I took an elective called “Dung, Death and Decay” at the University of Wollongong — and I was hooked by the science behind uncovering the past.
What archaeological projects are you working on at the moment?
Right now, I’m studying microscopic usewear on ancient stone tools recovered from submerged archaeological sites around the Dampier Archipelago as part of the Deep History of Sea Country project — helping uncover stories from landscapes that are now underwater!
Tell us about one of your most interesting archaeological discoveries
One of the coolest discoveries I’ve worked on was studying a 33,000-year-old giant sloth bone from Uruguay with a mysterious puncture wound. By examining microscopic wear traces, we found evidence that it was likely caused by a hand-held spear — suggesting humans were already in that part of the world at the time!
Tell us about a funny / disastrous / amazing experience that you have had while doing archaeology
One of my favourite memories was doing my PhD research at Madjedbebe rock shelter — Australia’s oldest known Aboriginal site, with evidence of people living there from 65,000 years ago. Every day on the excavation felt like uncovering another tiny piece of Australia’s ancient story!
What’s your favourite part of being an archaeologist?
My favourite part is working collaboratively with Indigenous communities, combining microscopic analysis with Indigenous knowledge to build a richer understanding of how ancient tools and technologies were used in the past.
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