Marc is a zooarchaeologist currently investigating food remains (animal bones) from two late 19th century archaeological sites in Queensland, comparing the food choices of European (predominantly British) and southern Chinese settlers. His current research highlights the cultural meaning of food and its links with identity, particularly in migrant contexts.
Marc has experience in teaching and lecturing (undergraduate level), conducting archaeological and historical research with various materials and methods of analysis (analysis of shell and bone, glass, stone tools, historical documents, Zooarchaeology by Mass Spectrometry (ZooMS)), as well as developing and delivering presentations both for academic audiences (seminars, conferences) and public audiences (including primary and high school students). His skills include faunal analysis (animal remains), historical and archival research, data analysis, and science communication. Recent achievements include awards for presentations given at the UQ SocSci Postgraduate Conference (2023), and the Chinese Heritage in Northern Australia (CHINA Inc.) Conference (2022), as well as receiving research grants from the Australian Archaeological Association (2022) and Deutsche Akademische Austauschdienst (2019).
PhD Thesis (UQ, 2025)
A question of balance: A multi-method zooarchaeological study of food and identity (re)creation in migrant communities in late 19th/early 20th century Queensland
Professional experience (selection)
2024 – 2025: Undergraduate course tutor, Australasian Archaeology (ARCA2020), Doing Archaeology (ARCS1001)
2023: Undergraduate course coordinator, lecturer, tutor, Historical Archaeology (ARCS2050)
2023: Post-excavation analysis facilitator/tutor, Everick Foundation Summer Field School
2022: ZooMS analysis (Zooarchaeology by Mass Spectrometry), Max Planck Institute of Geoanthropology, Jena, Germany
2022: UQ ‘Working Papers in Archaeology' seminar series organiser
2021 – Present: Australian Archaeological Association (AAA), Social media officer
2016 – Present: Archaeology Outreach Facilitator (primarily 2016-2020, though still ongoing)
Publications
Authored
- Cheeseman, M., et al. (In revision) Food and identity (re)creation in migrant communities: Applying ZooMS to highly fragmented faunal remains from an historical Queensland gold mining town, Ravenswood. (In revision, the Journal of Archaeological Science, Feb. 2025, Preprint available: https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=5128410)
- Cheeseman, M. (In revision) In darkest Queensland: A comparative zooarchaeological analysis of Chinese and European migrants in Frog’s Hollow, a 19th century Brisbane neighbourhood. (In revision, the International Journal of Historical Archaeology, Feb. 2025)
- Cheeseman, M. (In revision) Altered by gold: A comparative zooarchaeological analysis of Chinese and European migrants in Ravenswood, an historical Queensland gold mining town. (In revision, Archaeology in Oceania, Feb. 2025)
- Cheeseman, M. (2023) Beyond Making Ends Meat: Ruminating on Faunal Remains in Australian Historical Archaeology. Society for Historical Archaeology Newsletter, 56(1), 28–33, available: https://mydigitalpublication.com/publication/?i=788341
- Cheeseman, M. (2020) Setting the table: Archaeology and food. Queensland Museum Blog, available: https://blog.qm.qld.gov.au/2020/05/19/setting-the-table-archaeology-and-food/
Map Contribution
- Franklin, N. R., & Habgood, P. J. (2025) Are weapons always depicted in their area of manufacture? An examination of fighting poles/boomerangs and rainforest swords in rock art. Rock Art Research, 42(1), 91-118, available: https://rockartresearch.com/index.php/rock/article/view/533