Jo Thomson
Current position
Director, Principal Archaeologist
Where did you study?
University of Sydney, James Cook University, Curtin University, University of Western Australia
How did you become interested in archaeology?
I always had an interest in history and the past, but in high school I was an exchange student to Italy and that really ignited my passion for archaeology. Once I started studying archaeology at university and volunteering on excavations and in labs, I decided that it was what I wanted to do.
What archaeological projects are you working on at the moment?
I am working on a range of projects across Western Australia with numerous Traditional Owner groups.
Tell us about one of your most interesting archaeological discoveries
I can't actually talk about the most amazing discovery that I've been party to, due to cultural reasons, but a really interesting and random find was during an archaeological survey on Christmas Island - a 100+ year old denture made from wood and teeth.
Tell us about a funny / disastrous / amazing experience that you have had while doing archaeology
We were recording a rock shelter and it was the home of a giant goanna. This particular type of goanna is known to be quite cheeky and aggressive. He was, however, feeling quite magnanimous that day so he moved out of the shelter to let us do our work whilst he supervised. He was quite curious about our tape measures though, so he came back in to give them a quick lick and a check over before resuming his place at out the front. He patiently waited until we finished then reclaimed his home without incident.
What’s your favourite part of being an archaeologist?
Being out on Country with the Traditional Owners, always learning new things.
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