Victoria

Events

14 May 2008 : Glenrowan Siege Site Excavation Tours
The site of the famous Ned Kelly siege - Ann Jones's Inn at Glenrowan - is being excavated by historical archaeologists throughout May 2008. Archaeologists hope to find remains of the Inn site and possibly forensic evidence from the siege itself. A viewing platform has been constructed right next to the site so that members of the public can watch the excavation taking place in front of them. Dig deeper...

17 May 2008 : AIMA/NAS Introduction to Maritime Archaeology Course
Maritime archaeologists from Heritage Victoria will be teaching the Australasian Institute for Maritime Archaeology & Nautical Archaeology Society’s Part 1 ‘Introduction to Maritime Archaeology’ course in May. Part 1 of the 4-part internationally accredited course is open to divers and non-divers, and topics covered include: * history of maritime archaeology * ship construction * cultural heritage management * conservation of maritime sites and artefacts * remote sensing and position fixing * 2-dimensional surveying * principles of archaeology * principles of maritime archaeology * legislation * diving standards The practical session gets the participants outside doing simulated underwater surveying and back in the classroom the teams draw up their results. For more information on the courses visit: http://www.aima.iinet.net.au/frames/aimavtframe.html http://www.heritage.vic.gov.au/page.asp?ID=446 Dig deeper...

18 May 2008 : "Meet the Monash Archaeologists" Seminar
Presented in conjunction with the School of Geography & Environmental Science and Monash Asia Institute, Monash University. Archaeologists from Monash University will discuss their latest field work and research in Victoria, Papua New Guinea, Sardinia and China. Speakers include: Professor Jin Hai Long, Dr Ian J. McNiven, Dr Tim Denham, Dr Bruno David and Lucia Lancellotti. This lecture is supported by National Gallery of Victoria Public Programs. It is funded through the collaboration of the Monash Asia Institute and the School of Geography and Environmental Science, Monash University. Dig deeper...

20 May 2008 : Traces in the Sand: new archaeological research at Lake Mungo
Traces in the Sand: new archaeological research at Lake Mungo (Dr Nicola Stern, La Trobe University, Mr Daryl Pappin and Ms Cally Doyle, Cultural Heritage Officers for the Three Traditional Tribal Groups of the Willandra Area and La Trobe University) Duration: 1 hour + time for questions Abstract Lake Mungo is without doubt Australia’s foremost Ice Age archive, a potential treasure trove of information about the early history of human settlement on this continent. Archaeologists, however, refer to it as the black hole of Australian prehistory. As a new generation of archaeological research at Mungo gets underway, this conundrum commands attention. This lecture reviews the spectacular discoveries made at Mungo during the late 1960s and early 1970s, explores the state of our knowledge when archaeological work ceased 25 years ago, and introduces the new research program, initiated by the Elders Council of the Three Traditional Tribal Groups of the Willandra Area in collaboration with a team of university researchers. Dig deeper...

22 May 2008 : A 14,000 year-old hunter-gatherer’s toolkit
A 14,000 year-old hunter-gatherer’s toolkit (Dr Phillip Edwards, La Trobe University) Abstract: Some time during the late Ice Age, a hunter laid down a tool bag in a dark corner of the house at the end of a day's foraging. The toolkit lay undisturbed until it was excavated some 14,000 years later. It includes a unique sickle, flint spearheads, sling stones and a variety of other intriguing objects. These finds have provided us with a rare insight into the organization of hunting and gathering technology by a community which lived in the Jordan Valley around 12,000 BC. The Natufian toolkit from Wadi Hammeh 27 has attracted worldwide interest since its publication in the leading journal Antiquity, in late 2007. Reports of it have been filed for Discovery Channel News, Science magazine (USA), The Age, The Sydney Morning Herald, Radio 774 and Australasian Science (Australia), Quest Braintainment, (Netherlands), La Recherche and La Monde de la Bible (France) Epoc (Germany), Illustreret Videnskab (Denmark), Levende Historie (Norway) and Verkkouutiset (Finland). Duration: 1 hour + time for questions Dig deeper...

24 May 2008 : Workshops on stone tool manufacture
Workshops on stone tool manufacture, presented by Simon Greenwood and John Duggan (Museum Victoria) Four x one hour sessions, commencing at 10am, 11am, 1pm and 2pm These will be observer/participatory workshops, each workshop is capped at 20 participants. Each group will meet at the entrance to the Wildlife Reserve at one of the nominated start times. It won’t be possible to start part way through a session. Dig deeper...

25 May 2008 : So You Think You Can Dig? Exploring Careers in Archaeology
The Heritage Council in conjunction with the University of Melbourne, La Trobe University, Aboriginal Affairs Victoria and Heritage Victoria presents an Archaeology careers forum in the Prince Phillip Theatre, Architecture Building, at Melbourne University. The morning session includes Melbourne archaeologists presenting their findings from recent work on maritime, historical and Aboriginal sites. Hear about the discovery of the Ned Kelly burial site at Pentridge prison, recent work on Victoria's shipwrecks, the remarkable discovery of a lost Chinese settlement in Gippsland, and much more. After lunch there will be an open forum where a panel of archaeologists and heritage experts answer questions from the audience about training, opportunities and challenges - and why now is a great time to start exploring a career in Archaeology. Dig deeper...

11 Jun 2008 : "DUE ISOLE-UN CUORE" The reconstruction of ancient landscapes of Sicily and Sardinia - where art and science meet.
The Italian Institute of Culture, Melbourne, in collaboration with The Famiglia Siciliana and The Sardinian Cultural Association invites you to "DUE ISOLE-UN CUORE" The reconstruction of ancient landscapes of Sicily and Sardinia - where art and science meet with Lucia Lancellotti and Maria Zeiss (in English) Dig deeper...

Exhibitions/Displays

08 Apr 2008 : Body Casts on Display
Pompeii body casts Part of the A Day in Pompeii exhibition. To celebrate the announcement of the 2009 Melbourne Winter Masterpiece exhibition, A Day in Pompeii, visitors to Melbourne Museum have the unique opportunity to view a body cast of two women who were among nine victims found in the garden of the House of Cryptoporticus. Melbourne Winter Masterpieces is a Victorian Government initiative and is exclusive to Melbourne, Australia. Presented in association with the Soprintendenza Archeologica di Pompei. Dig deeper...

10 Apr 2008 : Australian archaeologists at Pella
This exhibition looks at the ancient city of Pella in the North Jordan Valley and tells the story of technology, trade and daily life over many centuries. It also describes the significant discoveries Australian archaeologists have made in Jordan for over fifty years. Excavations have revealed Pella as one of the most important ancient cities in Jordan, with a pattern of continuous human settlement stretching back to Neolithic times (c. 6500 BCE). Objects in the exhibition are drawn from the National Gallery of Australia’s collection, currently on long-term loan to the University of Sydney’s Nicholson Museum, augmented by artefacts held in the University of Melbourne’s Classics and Archaeology Collection. Curator: RE Ross Trust Curator Dr Andrew Jamieson Dig deeper...