Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE170101351
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$335,427.00
Summary
Visualising archaeologies: Art and the creation of contemporary archaeology. This project aims to investigate contemporary archaeology method and theory, specifically the proposition that art practice can create and communicate archaeological knowledge. Connecting contemporary Australian society with its material past is part of developing ideas about place, identity, and community. Using qualitative research and art practice-based studies, the project will trace the emergence of art-archaeology ....Visualising archaeologies: Art and the creation of contemporary archaeology. This project aims to investigate contemporary archaeology method and theory, specifically the proposition that art practice can create and communicate archaeological knowledge. Connecting contemporary Australian society with its material past is part of developing ideas about place, identity, and community. Using qualitative research and art practice-based studies, the project will trace the emergence of art-archaeology collaborations and investigate the application of visual methods in representing Australia’s rich heritage. Through the visualisation of archaeology and heritage, the project seeks to further understand how the past is mediated in the present. This will enable better engagement in public discussions about what Australia is as a society and how it values its heritage.Read moreRead less
A study of a newly discovered corpus of early Central Asian wall paintings. We will examine the development of mural art in Central Asia through study of a remarkable corpus of newly discovered wall-paintings from a massive two thousand year old temple/palace. This extensive collection of images is the largest and best preserved early cycle of art yet discovered in Central Asia. Detailed iconographic study of the paintings will provide an extensive new database for scholars working on the histor ....A study of a newly discovered corpus of early Central Asian wall paintings. We will examine the development of mural art in Central Asia through study of a remarkable corpus of newly discovered wall-paintings from a massive two thousand year old temple/palace. This extensive collection of images is the largest and best preserved early cycle of art yet discovered in Central Asia. Detailed iconographic study of the paintings will provide an extensive new database for scholars working on the history and culture of the ancient world. A broader study of Central Asian wall painting based on our work will benefit all those interested in the Classical world and its Asian and Iranian counterparts.Read moreRead less
Seth, God of Confusion: the archaeology of a cult centre in Egypt. This project aims to examine the growth and survival of the cult of Seth in Egypt's Western Desert against the background of the cult's suggested proscription elsewhere in the ancient state. Through detailed excavation and radiometric dating of the cult centre in Dakhleh Oasis, it aims to explore the proposition that the continued veneration of Seth can be read as a sign of regional independence. This is intended to challenge the ....Seth, God of Confusion: the archaeology of a cult centre in Egypt. This project aims to examine the growth and survival of the cult of Seth in Egypt's Western Desert against the background of the cult's suggested proscription elsewhere in the ancient state. Through detailed excavation and radiometric dating of the cult centre in Dakhleh Oasis, it aims to explore the proposition that the continued veneration of Seth can be read as a sign of regional independence. This is intended to challenge the orthodox view that Egypt operated as a monolithic state; reshaping how we approach ancient Egyptian religion and administration. In doing so, the study is expected to position an Australian research team at the forefront of contemporary scholarship on Egypt, enhancing our national reputation in the promotion and preservation of global heritage.Read moreRead less
Archaeology in the central Caucasus: investigations at Samatvro and Tchkantiskedi. This archaeological project is the strongest Australian cultural link with the Republic of Georgia, a developing country of considerable strategic importance that borders Russia. A study of Georgia's past heritage will provide a deeper understanding of its contemporary social diversity and complex geographical situation.
Chronology of Lower Palaeolithic settlements across the Mediterranean. The project seeks to contribute to our understanding of early human evolution in the Mediterranean and provide tested dating methods for Early Pleistocene sites. It aims to answer a major question in Quaternary geochronology and Mediterranean archaeology – when hominins reached the edges of the Mediterranean – by building more robust chronologies for Early Pleistocene sites located in non-volcanic context. After testing a ser ....Chronology of Lower Palaeolithic settlements across the Mediterranean. The project seeks to contribute to our understanding of early human evolution in the Mediterranean and provide tested dating methods for Early Pleistocene sites. It aims to answer a major question in Quaternary geochronology and Mediterranean archaeology – when hominins reached the edges of the Mediterranean – by building more robust chronologies for Early Pleistocene sites located in non-volcanic context. After testing a series of dating protocols at known-age localities, the project plans to apply a new multi-technique dating approach combining different numerical methods and Bayesian modelling on a range of Lower Palaeolithic sites in three key areas: Southern Spain, Northern Africa and the Near East.Read moreRead less
The emergence of farming beyond the Fertile Crescent at Boncuklu Höyük, Central Turkey. International collaborative research at Boncuklu Höyük will identify when farming first spread beyond Asia's Fertile Crescent 10,500 years ago. In answering whether migrating farmers caused this key event in global history it will refine our knowledge of the link between migration and culture change relevant to understanding both past and present.
Re-evaluating forager-farmer plant use in Anatolia’s neolithic transition. This project aims to apply new techniques of archaeological residue analysis to artefacts, sediments, tools and skeletal remains from early Turkish forager-farmer and critically evaluate the role of crops and wild plant foods in the earliest development of farming outside southwest Asia’s Fertile Crescent. Results will allow a new understanding of how cropping came to dominate ancient economies and evaluate the validity o ....Re-evaluating forager-farmer plant use in Anatolia’s neolithic transition. This project aims to apply new techniques of archaeological residue analysis to artefacts, sediments, tools and skeletal remains from early Turkish forager-farmer and critically evaluate the role of crops and wild plant foods in the earliest development of farming outside southwest Asia’s Fertile Crescent. Results will allow a new understanding of how cropping came to dominate ancient economies and evaluate the validity of existing methods and understandings of this phenomenon. Drawing on and developing international collaborations, the project will enhance Australia's visibility in agricultural origins research, increase research capacity in this field and develop cultural, education and economic opportunities with and in Turkey.Read moreRead less
Settlement patterns, craft production, and the rise of early states in China. This project is an international, multidisciplinary archaeological program focused on monitoring the processes which led to the rise of early states in China, through extensive study of settlement patterns in the Yiluo valley, using regional surveys and geoarchaeological investigations. It will make significant contributions in four aspects: evaluation and reformulation of general theoretical and methodological approac ....Settlement patterns, craft production, and the rise of early states in China. This project is an international, multidisciplinary archaeological program focused on monitoring the processes which led to the rise of early states in China, through extensive study of settlement patterns in the Yiluo valley, using regional surveys and geoarchaeological investigations. It will make significant contributions in four aspects: evaluation and reformulation of general theoretical and methodological approaches to the interdisciplinary study of social complexity; enhanced understanding of Chinese cultural history in the light of anthropological theory; articulation of empirical approaches to the study of Chinese civilisation through archaeology; and strengthened collaborative research between archaeologists in Australia and other parts of the world.Read moreRead less
Early settlements in Upper Burma (Myanmar): an experiment in urban living. This project directly increases access for Australian research to a previously self-isolated nation, Myanmar. It contributes to better understanding of our region and our world by examining how past communities worked together and how they dealt with social and environmental stress.
Chorasmian temples: an archaeological study of early Zoroastrianism and its precursors in Central Asia. The project is a collaboration with the Uzbek Academy of Sciences. National benefits to Australia are in international relations and in broadening our understanding of cultural issues in the potentially volatile and politically significant region of Central Asia. The team has developed a high profile in Uzbekistan and internationally, reflecting well on Australia's cultural strengths, intern ....Chorasmian temples: an archaeological study of early Zoroastrianism and its precursors in Central Asia. The project is a collaboration with the Uzbek Academy of Sciences. National benefits to Australia are in international relations and in broadening our understanding of cultural issues in the potentially volatile and politically significant region of Central Asia. The team has developed a high profile in Uzbekistan and internationally, reflecting well on Australia's cultural strengths, international involvement and support for developing countries in Asia. Our research features regularly in the Uzbek media and has the personal approval of President Karimov. We are involved with Zoroastrian and Parsi communities in Australia and overseas, particularly in India and the USA, and our results are published regularly in the community press.Read moreRead less