Mary-Jean Sutton

Name

Mary-Jean Sutton, Virtus Heritage.

Current position

Director / Principal Archaeologist

Where did you study?

University of Queensland and University of Sydney.

How did you become interested in archaeology?

I was interested in anthropology and did an Aboriginal studies subject as part of it and found it amazing and challenging and started to think about archaeology and focussing on missions as was inspired by Elders’ stories and testimony in the Bringing Them Home report published in 1997.

What archaeological projects are you working on at the moment?

NPWS surveys for fire recovery, digs on coastal middens, Defence heritage, cultural mapping and thematic history projects and far northern Cape York cemetery surveys.

Tell us about one of your most interesting archaeological discoveries.

Rockshelters with artefacts and occupation deposits in places never surveyed before with Traditional Owners.

Tell us about a funny / disastrous / amazing experience that you have had while doing archaeology.

I once blew up a kettle in my hotel room on fieldwork 🙈

I got chased by a hermit and followed all day in an area I surveyed with a team but had gotten separated accidentally and sang out loud Herman’s Hermits songs to keep him thinking I was mad to leave me alone until I found everyone again.

What’s your favourite part of being an archaeologist?

Learning new things and working on country with Traditional Owners.

Follow up reading.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-5351931/amp/Mysterious-sand-mounds-ancient-Aboriginal-graves.html