Jillian Garvey
Current position
Tracey Banivanua Mar Senior Research Fellow in the Department of Archaeology and History, La Trobe University
Where did you study?
BA/BSc Hons at La Trobe in archaeology, zoology and genetics
PhD at La Trobe in vertebrate palaeontology
How did you become interested in archaeology?
Totally by accident! I initially enrolled in a Bachelor of Biological Science at La Trobe as I was fascinated by animals. I then took an archaeology first year subject (which I enjoyed) during my second year science degree to avoid having to take more chemistry classes. Subsequently I enrolled in the 'Archaeology of Animals' a second year zooarchaeology subject and was hooked, so I transferred to La Trobe's new BA/BSc so that I could study both Australian archaeology and science. I then went on to complete a zoology/archaeology honours project before returning to the sciences for my PhD (on the taphonomy of a 370-million-year-old fossil fish site). Immediately following my PhD I returned to archaeology to undertake a postdoc studying the fauna from Kutikina Cave in late Pleistocene southwest Tasmania which had been excavated by Rhys Jones and colleagues almost 25 years before. I’ve been working in archaeology ever since.
What archaeological projects are you working on at the moment?
I have several active research projects in Australian archaeology with a focus on Victoria and Tasmania. I have been working with the Ngintait and First People of the Millewa Mallee in northwest Victoria in the central Murray River valley since 2013 and I am about to start on a new collaborative project with Dja Dja Wurrung and Yung Balug Traditional Owners in the lake Boort region in Central Victoria. I am also involved in ongoing research on the archaeology of Tasmania where I have been focusing on the zooarchaeological record.
Tell us about one of your most interesting archaeological discoveries.
While I find all aspects of archaeology interesting, I have found my modern butchery and nutritional experiments on Australian prey animals the most intriguing. Being able to quantify the distribution of meat, fat and marrow, and determine which parts of an animal are the most nutritious has enabled me to interpret patterns in the archaeological record and better understand human behaviour and use of the landscape.
Tell us about a funny / disastrous / amazing experience that you have had while doing archaeology.
Collecting fresh roadkill has always made for funny and interesting stories, and I have many. Probably the funniest was when I was about to take samples from a fresh roadkill Bennett's wallaby in Tasmania, and the student assisting me said 'don't look now but there is a mini bus load of Japanese tourists pulling in (we were parked in a designated lookout area)'. I tried very subtly to put away the scalpel knife and gloves I had on and tried to act normal. Let's just say the horrified look on their faces and the way they quickly got back on the bus and drove away, indicated that they had at least seen some of what we were up to.
What’s your favourite part of being an archaeologist?
I love the tangible link that archaeology provides to the deep past. Being able to have a career that allows you to undertake research, travel to new places, be outdoors, camp, and meet new people is pretty amazing. It is also a privilege to be able to work alongside Traditional Owners to help find out how their old people lived on country for generations.
Follow up reading.