School of Archaeology and Anthropology
Small skulls point to human migration highway to Australia title
Human remains discovered on Alor island in Indonesia offer new insight into human migration through Southeast Asia thousands of years ago, say researchers from The Australian National University (ANU).
Lead researcher Dr Sofía Samper Carro from the ANU School of Archaeology and Anthropology says the two skulls, dated between 12,000 and 17,000 years old, are the oldest human remains ever found in Wallacea - the islands between Java, Papua New Guinea and Australia.
Hands-on dads more prone to jealousy in face of infidelity title
A new international study has found fathers who invest time and money in their children are likely to be more jealous when their partner cheats on them compared with dads who are less involved.
Dr Geoff Kushnick, an anthropologist with the ANU School of Archaeology and Anthropology, was part of the research team. He says while previous studies had focused on differences between the sexes, this study investigated cultural differences including fathers' involvement in their children's upbringing.
ANU helps secure world heritage status for jars of Laos title
Mysterious jars potentially used for burial rituals in Laos have won world heritage status after years of research by archaeological scientists from The Australian National University (ANU) and the University of Melbourne.
The announcement of seven new cultural sites by the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) was made on Saturday night and included Laos' Plain of Jars.
Little was known about the ancient megalithic jars when the team began a series of excavations of the Plain of Jars in 2016 with the Lao Department of Heritage.
Traffic island breaks era of silence in Indigenous history title
In a first for the ACT, an unobtrusive traffic island in the Canberra suburb of Griffith has been granted heritage status based on its importance for the region's Indigenous history.
The area, known as the Red Hill Campsite, bordered by Flinders Way, Durville Crescent and Hayes Crescent, has been recognised as a significant site of Indigenous oral history.
The special status recognises how Aboriginal people lived and travelled throughout the region during the early- to mid-20th century.
More mysterious jars of the dead unearthed in Laos title
ANU archaeologists have discovered 15 new sites in Laos containing more than one hundred 1000-year-old massive stone jars possibly used for the dead.
The jars of Laos are one of archaeology's enduring mysteries. Experts believe they were related to disposal of the dead, but nothing is known about the jars' original purpose and the people who brought them there.
The new finds show the distribution of the jars was more widespread than previously thought and could unlock the secrets surrounding their origin.
The power of play in the School of Archaeology & Anthropology title
From humble origins as mere advertising tools, the use of educational games continues to expand, finding new ways to illustrate and convey the processes behind a range of complex social and environmental issues.