This report summarizes archaeological developments that took place during 1975 within the History Department, the staff of which includes two archaeologists, Mr W. Culican (Reader; specialization: Middle East) and the author (Research Fellow; specialization: Oceanic prehistory and ethnohistory)

Orchiston, D Wayne

Australian Archaeology

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Australian Archaeology    Archived at Flinders University: dspace.flinders.edu.au  Full Citation Details: Orchiston, D.W. 1976. Archaeological Developments in the History Department at The University of Melbourne, 1975. 'Australian Archaeology', no.4, 11-12.                 ARCFWEOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS I N  THE HISTORY DEPARTMENT AT THE UNIVERSITY OF MELBOURNE, 1975 This r e p o r t  summarises archaeological developments t h a t  took p lacq  dur ing  1975 w i th in  t h e  His tory  Department, t he  s t a f f  of which inc ludes  two a r chaeo log i s t s ,  M r  W. Cufican (Reader; s p e c i a l i s a t i o n :  Middle East)  and t h e  w r i t e r  (Research Fellow; s p e c i a l i s a t i o n :  Oceanic p r eh i s t o ry  and e thnohis to ry) .  A New Undergraduate Course The broadening o f  t h e  His tory  Department's frame o f  t each ing  and r e sea r ch  re fe rence ,  f i r s t  manifest i n  1974 with t h e  i n t roduc t i on  o f  t h e  new f i r s t  year  course History 1D ( 'Cu l t u r e  Contact i n  t h e  P a c i f i c ' ) ,  was continued i n  1975 when ' P r e h i s t o r i c  Archaeology' (History 1F) was of fe red  by Culican and Orchis ton.  Research Most o f  t h e  research  c a r r i e d  out  by t h e  e thnohis to r ians  and a r chaeo log i s t s  i n  t h e  Department and by t h e i r '  post-graduate  s t uden t s  r e l a t e d  t o  a r e a s  ou t s i de  of Aus t r a l i a .  However, i n  December Orchis ton and M r  R .  Glenie (a  par t - t ime  Tutor  i n  His tory  1F f o r  one term) l ed  a 14-man Univers i ty  archaeological-geological  expedi t ion  t o  F l i nde r s  I s l and ,  where 2% weeks were spent  i n v e s t i g a t i n g  geo log ica l  sequences and evidence o f  p r e h i s t o r i c  human occupat ion i n  t h e  Palana dunes. Thi r teen  d i f f e r e n t  a rchaeolog ica l  s i t e s  were recorded, a l l  s i t u a t e d  on t h e  same o l d  f o s s i l  s o i l  horizon,  and although most were cha r ac t e r i s ed  by worked g r a n i t e  blocks and qua r t z  ' f l a k e s 1 ,  only e i g h t  contained i n  s i t u  faunal  ma t e r i a l .  Excavations were c a r r i e d  ou t  a t  two s i t e s .  Analyses of  a r t i f a c t s  and bone, s h e l l ,  and sediment samples a r e  con t inu ing ,  and ma te r i a l  i s  t o  be forwarded t o  t h e  Univers i ty  o f  Sydney f o r  radiocarbon da t i ng .  Seminars and Pub l i c  Lectures  The Research Seminar s e r i e s  i n  Archaeology and Ethnohis tory i n i t i a t e d  i n  1974 (when ' imports '  included I sabe l  McBryde and Graeme P r e t t y )  was continued i n  1975, and t h r e e  of  t h e  n ine  who de l i ve r ed  papers  spoke on Aus t ra l ian  t o p i c s :  Judy Birmingham: 'Irrawang - a co lon ia l  po t t e ry  s i t e 1  Sandra Bowdler : 'Bones o f  content ion:  problems of  ana ly s i s  of faunal  remains from Cave Bay Cave, Hunter I s l a n d t  Graeme P r e t t y  : 'Cu l tu ra l  chronology o f  t h e  Roonka F l a t  - a prel iminary cons ide r a t i on ' .  The o t h e r  non-local  speaker  during t h e  year  was J i m  Specht.  Archived at Flinders University: dspace.flinders.edu.auIn September and October Public Lectures were given on Melanesian anthropology and prehis tory  and Polynesian ethnohistory by Graemc Pre t ty ,  J i m  Specht, and Wayne Orchiston, respec t ive ly ,  i n  conjunction with an ethnographic exhib i t ion  on t r a d i t i o n a l  Melanesian warfare displayed i n  t h e  Universi ty Gallery (see Orchiston 1975). Then, almost two months l a t e r ,  John Mulvaney followed with a most successful  Public  Lecture. This took place during a Conference on Victorian Prehis tory  (see 'Recent Developments i n  Victorian Prehis tory ' ,  elsewhere i n  t h i s  Nell8ktter) , organised jo in t ly  by t h e  Geology and History Departments and t h e  Off i c e  f o r  Continuing Education. Other Developments TWO new University- leve l Adult Education courses on 'An Introduction t o  P reh i s to r i c  Archaeology1 and 'The Prehis tory  of Polynesia' were of fered  by History Department s t a f f  during t h e  year, and proved popular. Meanwhile, within t h e  Universi ty,  c lose  contacts  were maintained with personnel i n  the  Departments of Economic History, Geology and Zoology (and t h e  Geography Department a t  Monash) where Austral ian p reh i s to ry  i s  a l s o  taught ,  and exchange lec tures  were arranged with Geology and Geography. Closer t i e s  were a l s o  forged between t h e  History Department and the  Archaeological Society of  Vic tor ia .  D.  Wayne Orchiston Reference Orchiston, D. Wayne 1975 Wmfare Cn Mehme8~u. The Lmhard  A& EthnoZogicaZ CoZZscth Rmt mo. Melbourne, University of  Melbourne. A NEW ARCHAEOLOGY - ETHNOHI S P R Y  RESEARCH JOURNAL FOR THE PACIFIC AREA The Artefact, fonnerly the  newsle t te r  of t h e  Archaeological Society of Victoria ,  i s  now a profess ional  research journal spec i a l i s ing  i n  the  ethnohistory and archaeology (prehis tor ic ,  h i s t o r i c ,  and ethno-) o f  t he  P a c i f i c  region.  The new journal i s  published qua r t e r ly  (not twice- yearly,  a s  previously s t a t ed )  and each number should average around 50-60 pages. Contents include a News and Notes s ec t ion ,  research and review papers, and book reviews. The 1976 annual subscript ion is $AS.OO i f  posted t o  an Austral ian address, and $US10.00 f o r  overseas subscribers  (or  SA7.00 i f  submitted i n  Austral ian currency). A l l  subscript ions should be d i r ec t ed  t o  t he  Honorary Secretary of the  Society: Archived at Flinders University: dspace.flinders.edu.au

Archaeological Developments in the History Department at The University of Melbourne, 1975

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Archaeological Developments in the History Department at The University of Melbourne, 1975

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