The First Polynesians: Their Origins, Lifeways and Environmental Challenges. This project uses an interdisciplinary approach to examine the biological, cultural and environmental factors underpinning the Polynesian people through a study of their ancient homeland in Tonga. Early Polynesian society developed 2650-2350 years ago, but little is known about the people, their culture and how sea-level fall impacted subsistence and settlement. The proposed study’s goal is to fill this gap in human kno ....The First Polynesians: Their Origins, Lifeways and Environmental Challenges. This project uses an interdisciplinary approach to examine the biological, cultural and environmental factors underpinning the Polynesian people through a study of their ancient homeland in Tonga. Early Polynesian society developed 2650-2350 years ago, but little is known about the people, their culture and how sea-level fall impacted subsistence and settlement. The proposed study’s goal is to fill this gap in human knowledge about our Pacific neighbours using a unique skeletal assemblage, excavated cultural remains and advanced mapping of palaeo-sea-level markers that will improve understanding of the impact of environmental change on human societies in our region.Read moreRead less
Warfare and the Archaic State in Oceania. The project aim is to investigate warfare in the ancient Tongan state through a study of earthwork fortifications. The conflict record for an Archaic state in Oceania that survived for 650 years contributes a new perspective to global research on warfare in complex societies. The effect of conflict is a prominent issue for Australia and long-term records of warfare in our region will improve our understanding of it. Intra-state conflict is the most press ....Warfare and the Archaic State in Oceania. The project aim is to investigate warfare in the ancient Tongan state through a study of earthwork fortifications. The conflict record for an Archaic state in Oceania that survived for 650 years contributes a new perspective to global research on warfare in complex societies. The effect of conflict is a prominent issue for Australia and long-term records of warfare in our region will improve our understanding of it. Intra-state conflict is the most pressing threat to political stability in South-East Asia and the Pacific and the project would benefit Australia by showing how changes to political systems are associated with phases of conflict and peace.Read moreRead less
New Electronic Archives for Australian Literature. Information capacity in Australian literary studies has been dramatically expanded by national investment in electronic archives, while trends in the discipline increasingly demand empirical support for claims about literary history and literary value. At the same time, research about Australian literature remains primarily theoretical, insufficiently informed by newly available data. This project aims to further enrich the new data sets, and to ....New Electronic Archives for Australian Literature. Information capacity in Australian literary studies has been dramatically expanded by national investment in electronic archives, while trends in the discipline increasingly demand empirical support for claims about literary history and literary value. At the same time, research about Australian literature remains primarily theoretical, insufficiently informed by newly available data. This project aims to further enrich the new data sets, and to use them in an innovative return to the classical issues in Australian literary criticism and history. It will provide demonstration applications of data in new electronic archives.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE130100046
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$374,575.00
Summary
Foundations of Island Southeast Asian maritime interaction: unravelling cause and consequence for the transformation of past societies. The successful spread of Neolithic innovations across the world was one of the most important transformations in human history. This project combines the geochemical and technological analysis of stone tools to track the evolution of maritime colonisation in Island Southeast Asia, the foundation for the success of agriculture in this region.
The Nakanai Caves Cultural Heritage Project. This project aims to document and integrate the natural and cultural values of the Nakanai Caves in East New Britain, Papua New Guinea, in preparation for a cultural landscape World Heritage nomination. The project’s novel methodology incorporates community knowledge with archaeological and anthropological evidence to link natural and cultural values and define the landscape from local perspectives. Local input into the research will be prioritised. B ....The Nakanai Caves Cultural Heritage Project. This project aims to document and integrate the natural and cultural values of the Nakanai Caves in East New Britain, Papua New Guinea, in preparation for a cultural landscape World Heritage nomination. The project’s novel methodology incorporates community knowledge with archaeological and anthropological evidence to link natural and cultural values and define the landscape from local perspectives. Local input into the research will be prioritised. By emphasising local participation and management of World Heritage listing processes the project aims to address an identified gap in World Heritage methodologies. This project allows for a subtle, nuanced definition of cultural landscapes under the World Heritage Convention.Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE0238930
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$350,000.00
Summary
Austlit: The Australian Literature Gateway - Enhancement Stage Two. The Austlit: The Australian Literature Gateway Enhancement Stage Two Project will deliver enhanced functionality for researchers using the integrated resource discovery service developed in 2000 and 2001. In 2002, the Gateway will add new bibliographic, biographical and full text sources to the service, and map rich literary relationships based on this data, supporting the development of new research questions on the place of th ....Austlit: The Australian Literature Gateway - Enhancement Stage Two. The Austlit: The Australian Literature Gateway Enhancement Stage Two Project will deliver enhanced functionality for researchers using the integrated resource discovery service developed in 2000 and 2001. In 2002, the Gateway will add new bibliographic, biographical and full text sources to the service, and map rich literary relationships based on this data, supporting the development of new research questions on the place of the national literature in Australian culture. The Gateway's technical infrastructure will be developed to offer a sophisticated browsing interface, customised services to support specific research, and broader interoperability with other services, including flexible education and portal services.Read moreRead less
Beyond migration and diffusion: The prehistoric mobility of people & ideas. The project plans to build on the strength of current collaborations between archaeologists and geochemists to ask novel questions about the movement of people and ideas in prehistory. The project plans to examine spatial and temporal patterns in population mobility to clarify their relationship with the appearance of new and exotic materials, technologies and practices. The project focuses on the ways in which the movem ....Beyond migration and diffusion: The prehistoric mobility of people & ideas. The project plans to build on the strength of current collaborations between archaeologists and geochemists to ask novel questions about the movement of people and ideas in prehistory. The project plans to examine spatial and temporal patterns in population mobility to clarify their relationship with the appearance of new and exotic materials, technologies and practices. The project focuses on the ways in which the movement of individuals and groups of people is both an instigator and a response to sociocultural change, using both key European and Pacific Island examples, to help build a comparative archaeology of phenomena of rapid social and economic change, with pertinence to general theories of innovation and adoption.Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE0347049
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$403,000.00
Summary
Building Australian Literary Knowledge Infrastructure. The primary goal of AustLit: the Australian Literature Gateway is to facilitate and encourage research in, and teaching of, the nation's creative and critical literature. AustLit's innovative world class resource discovery service utilises best practice techniques in information management and knowledge sharing. In 2003, AustLit will develop new technical services and important new content to meet the defined needs of a wide range of educati ....Building Australian Literary Knowledge Infrastructure. The primary goal of AustLit: the Australian Literature Gateway is to facilitate and encourage research in, and teaching of, the nation's creative and critical literature. AustLit's innovative world class resource discovery service utilises best practice techniques in information management and knowledge sharing. In 2003, AustLit will develop new technical services and important new content to meet the defined needs of a wide range of education and information consumers in the area. AustLit provides the foundation for a subject specific digital library that will retain and expand its usefulness into the future.Read moreRead less
Anzac Day at home and abroad: a centenary history of Australia's national day. Australia is fast approaching the centenary of Anzac Day and many believe this is the one day of the year that captures the spirit of the nation. This project will examine Anzac Day's complex and much contested history, retrieving private and collective memories of war through archival research and novel and participatory public history.
Understanding the Antipodean 'Fair Go'. There is bipartisan support for the 'fair go' in Australia and New Zealand, but what does the fair go actually mean? This project aims to generate new knowledge about the role of the fair go in political debate and policy making. It will examine the values that have been historically connected to the fair go. It will assess how the public and politicians currently understand the fair go and will investigate how the fair go has influenced public policies. E ....Understanding the Antipodean 'Fair Go'. There is bipartisan support for the 'fair go' in Australia and New Zealand, but what does the fair go actually mean? This project aims to generate new knowledge about the role of the fair go in political debate and policy making. It will examine the values that have been historically connected to the fair go. It will assess how the public and politicians currently understand the fair go and will investigate how the fair go has influenced public policies. Expected outcomes include the first systematic analysis of one of the most pervasive and enduring social and political ideas in Australia and New Zealand. This will give policymakers a better understanding of citizens’ values and will build knowledge about how values shape public policies.Read moreRead less