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National Archaeology Week 2009
17 - 23 May 2009
Join in with National Archaeology Week activities at Queensland Museum South Bank.
Get up close with artefacts at our Inquiry Centre, discover some of Brisbane's history, explore the evolution of our species, or survey the museum for archaeological remnants with our People from the Past trail.
For more Queensland events and activities visit the National Archaeology Week* website.
Activities
Evolving Humans - Workshop
The story of humanity's origins is recorded in a baffling series of fossil bones and stone artefacts that span back to 7 million years ago. In this workshop we examine through a hands-on study of fossil casts our early origins, beginning with the Australopithecines through to the multiple extinction events of earlier humans. This includes the Eurasian Neanderthals, Asia's Homo erectus and Flores' hobbit leading up to the emergence of modern humans, Homo sapiens, in Africa almost 200,000 years ago.
Where: Dinosaur Room, Level 2
When: Wednesday 20 May 2009. Registration: 12.15pm-12.30pm; Workshop: 12.30pm-1.30pm
Cost: $10 per person. Bookings essential. Places limited.
Booking details: Download the booking form [73 KB Word document] and submit via email, fax or post. Workshop is aimed at an adult audience, suitable for visitors aged 14 and up.
Inquiries: Call Inquiry Centre for more information 3840 7555 or contact us online.
People from the Past Trail
Survey for archaeological remnants with the People from the Past trail. Follow a trail through the museum to discover archaeological artefacts on display.
Where: trail starts in the Level 2 foyer
When: 17 - 23 May 2009, 9.30am-5pm
Cost: Free (Bookings required for groups)
Talks and Tours
Before Brisvegas…
This public talk is a general and entertaining introduction to the archaeology of historical Brisbane. What has been found? What might remain to be discovered, and what can it tell us about the Brisbane we know today?
The public talk will be conducted by archaeologists Paddy Waterson from the Department of Environment and Resource Management, and Michael Westaway, Curator of Archaeology at Queensland Museum. The talk will be followed by a viewing of artefacts from archaeological excavations in Brisbane. Afterwards, Paddy and Michael will undertake a brief guided walk to the Brisbane Square Library archaeology display, pointing out some interesting archaeological sites along the way.
Presented by the Department of Environment and Resource Management and Queensland Museum.
Where: Theatre, Level 2
When: Sunday 17 May 2009, Talk: 1pm-2pm, Walk and visit to Brisbane Square Library: 2-3pm
Cost: Free (Bookings required for groups)
Inquiries: For more information email Paddy Waterson paddy.waterson@epa.qld.gov.au
Find out more about Brisbane archaeology
Watch the webcast: Convicts, Culverts, and Catalinas: recent archaeological projects in inner-city Brisbane
Archaeology at the Museum
How do archaeologists reconstruct the human past from the fragments left behind thousands of years ago? Join a Queensland Museum archaeologist for a tour of the archaeology on display within the museum. Learn how the museum's artefacts reveal stories about the human past, spanning a broad range of archaeological topics, from the age of the Neanderthals, Ancient Greece, 40,000 years of Queensland's Aboriginal past, and the history of Brisbane since the initial British settlement in the 1820s.
Where: Inquiry Centre, Level 3
When: 18 - 22 May 2009, 11.30am-12noon
Cost: Free (Bookings required for groups)
Displays
The early archaeological research of Skertchly
A new display case in the Inquiry Centre provides an account of the important work of Queensland based geologist Professor Sydney Skertchly, whose pioneering field work in England demonstrated that ancient humans had existed many hundreds of millennia ago. In 1913, Skertchly also seems to have been the first to demonstrate by careful scientific methodology that Aboriginal people had been in Australia for much longer than previously thought. But his pleas for acknowledgement fell largely upon deaf ears.
Where: Inquiry Centre, Level 3
When: 17 - 23 May 2009, 9.30am-5pm
Cost: Free (Bookings required for groups)
Find out more about the museum's Skertchly collection
Watch the webcast: Archaeology's early origins
Kenniff Cave on display
When first excavated in 1960, Kenniff Cave produced an archaeological record that revolutionised the broader Australian public's appreciation of the antiquity and complexity of Australia's Aboriginal past. The excavations by John Mulvaney revealed that Aboriginal occupation extended beyond the last ice age and provided at that time the earliest evidence for rock art in the world. The rich artefact assemblage played a major role in deconstructing the myth that Aboriginal culture was stagnant, reflecting many innovations in new technologies to address social and economic challenges. The excavation marked the beginning of a new era in research into the Aboriginal past.
Where: Inquiry Centre, Level 3
When: 17 - 23 May 2009, 9.30am-5pm
Cost: Free (Bookings required for groups)
Webcasts
Archaeology's early origins
Michael Westaway, Curator - Archaeology, Queensland Museum, discusses the significance of the Museum's Skertchly Collection, consisting of Palaeolithic artefacts from Western Europe made by Proto-Neanderthals almost 200,000 years ago.
Convicts, Culverts, and Catalinas: recent archaeological projects in inner-city Brisbane
Dr Thom Blake and Dr Richard Robins present an overview of some recent interesting archaeological projects in Brisbane. These projects include a 1860 stone culvert under Adelaide Street, remnants of the 1860 Petrie Terrace gaol, a World War 2 Command Centre bunker and the 1830s Eagle Farm Female prison site.
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