CRAR+M researchers have excavated some of Australia’s oldest archaeological sites, undertaken programmes to directly date paintings, analysed the role of symbolic behaviour in human evolution, explored the nature of contact era rock art, investigated rock art as a social information in arid and coastal Australia, collected baseline data on rock art and Tjukurrpa from the Canning Stock Route, prepared of management plans for rock art regions (e.g. Sydney, Port Hedland) and specific sites (Whale Cave), and undertaken the scientific assessments for National Heritage Listing and World Heritage nominations.
UWA archaeologists are also involved in early Upper Palaeolithic art research in central Europe, as well as comparative studies in North America, South Africa and China. They are leaders in the development, refinement, and application of digital recording and enhancement techniques of heavily deteriorated rock-paintings and engravings.
Current Projects
Desert to the Sea
This Project will expand our understanding of Aboriginal settlement and land-use in north-west Australia by investigating how the mythological narratives of Australia’s deserts enable the transmission of knowledge in water-limited environments.
The Project will bring together Indigenous knowledge and western scientific approaches to improve management outcomes for Indigenous ranger groups managing vast cultural estates with significant rock art.