Australian archaeologists work in a huge range of fields, investigating diverse aspects of our past. A generous bunch of Australian archaeologists have shared their stories with us. Click on the profiles below to find out more!
If you would like to add your story, please get in touch, or fill in the form below.
Lauren was inspired by a child by the amazing discoveries of archaeologists. Now she is an archaeologist herself, she finds that she loves getting to see pieces of the everyday lives of people instead, things that have not been written about in the history books.
Read MoreLeah finds that every day is different as an archaeologist. She is constantly learning … and she loves it!
Read MoreEva is following her passion for science and the past through PhD research, involving the identification of use marks on Australian boomerangs - in particular, use marks suggesting the use of boomerangs for shaping stone tools.
Read MoreJasmine’s early interest in history led her to archaeology, as a hands-on way of finding about the past. One of her most intriguing discoveries has been above ground - finding the standing remains of a 19th century building that had been incorporated into a later factory.
Read MoreAmanda’s story finally answers the nature or nurture question: she has always wanted to be an archaeologist, and here she is! She has worked all over NSW, over many years, and only been involved in a whole-of-team food poisoning incident once. Those are good odds.
Read MoreNadia traces her journey as an archaeologist back to her family’s stories of place and people in the Isole Eolie, a small group of volcanic islands off the west coast of Italy. Her curiosity to learn has carried her from islands off the Abu Dhabi coast to the Konya Plain in Turkey to the banks of the Tank Stream in Sydney, and many places to come.
Read MoreThe influence of early exposure to Time-Life illustrated books seems to be forming a common theme when we Meet the Archaeologists, and Steve is no exception. Another theme is the joy of working with amazing people, and sharing knowledge, experiences, history and heritage.
Read MoreMichael became interested in archaeology while working at the Abbey Museum of Art and Archaeology. He is now Senior Curator at the Museum, and runs a consultancy in Queensland, and has collected some amazing stories along the way.
Read MoreFrom dreaming of pyramidions as a child, Adam has learnt to look for the human connection in smaller, everyday artefacts. Like most archaeologists, he has found that archaeology isn’t just about digging … it’s also about bailing rainwater out of your trench with a bucket full of holes.
Read MoreHannah is currently working on sites at the Art Gallery of New South Wales, the Hyde Park Barracks, and the former Mount Gilead Estate, exploring aspects of the history of greater Sydney. And on her holidays, she just keeps going, of course, and is working on an Early Bronze Age site called Dhaskalio in the Greek Cyclades, where the evidence of trade in obsidian is revealing regional connections.
Read MoreYou might call Andrew an archaeological polymath, with interests spanning Roman-period maritime landscapes in Italy, ANZAC history in the Mediterranean, and convict-period dinosaurs. He is exploring innovative ways to share his passion for learning, through the use of technologies such as Extended Reality (XR).
Read MoreFiona’s archaeological research into civil aviation heritage gives her the chance to talk to people about their experiences and memories on site, exploring the histories of place in a very special way.
Read MoreRichard’s wide-ranging archaeological career has taken him from The Rocks in Sydney to Angkor in Cambodia, and many places in between, but he is here to reassure us that even an ICOMOS World Heritage Advisor can sometimes mistake a cat for a gibbon.
Read MoreAmelia’s archaeological investigation into ancient Greek lives has taken her to excavations in Cyprus and Corinth, but it’s not all digging: her research also happens in storerooms, in archives and online.
Read MoreMikhaila’s studies have included landscape archaeology in Ireland, adding rain, mud and cow dung to the long list of occupational hazards. She is currently applying her understanding of landscape heritage to a study of the past and present values of the Eveleigh Locomotive Workshops.
Read MoreTracy is currently working on a contemporary archaeology project: Heritage of the Air. Meeting film stars is one of her favourite things about being an archaeologist … but also the collaboration and interaction with wonderful scholars, students and local communities.
Read MoreSarah is a PhD student, investigating aspects of past lives at the site Zahrat adh-Dhra‘ 2 (9,200 - 8,300 cal BC), in Jordan. The fact that her ‘funny’ fieldwork stories include running out of water in the desert suggests that maybe she is exactly the right person for the job.
Read MoreJillian gives an insight into the fascinating research that can be explored through the specialist field of zooarchaeology … and also into another way of looking at roadkill.
Read MoreWenjing has always been a fan of detective stories, and is now working on one of the biggest mysteries she could find: the chronology of the UNESCO Cradle of Humankind World Heritage Site, in South Africa.
Read MoreAbi was hooked on archaeology as a child in south west Ireland, where she spent her free time exploring the ruins of a medieval ringwork, towerhouse, church and graveyard, and imagining the long forgotten lives of people who once lived there.
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