PhD Project
‘Understanding the ecological impacts of human colonisation and faunal introductions on pristine tropical islands in the Western Indian Ocean’.
Supervisors: A/Prof. Alison Crowther; A/Prof. Tiina Manne
This research aims to understand the impacts of initial human settlement on remote and vulnerable tropical islands in the Western Indian Ocean. The project will produce the first, long-term, high-resolution record of vertebrate faunal introductions to the Comoros Islands covering a period from island colonisation in the late 1st millennium AD to early urbanisation in the mid-2nd millennium AD. The project will focus on the analysis of the vertebrate faunal assemblage from the archaeological site of Sima, Anjouan Island.
Qualifications
2022 Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Archaeology (First Class)
Thesis: ‘Here fishy fishy; An analysis of current methodological approaches to archaeological fish bone identification using an assemblage from Moloka’i, Hawai’i’
2018 - 2021 Bachelor of Arts in Archaeology (Extended Major) and Ancient History (Minor)
2014 Certificate II in Flight Operations (Cabin Crew)
2010 - 2012 Bachelor of Arts in Applied Theatre (Double Major), Griffith University
Publications
Kerkhove, R.C., Silcock, J.L., Williams, D., Kotarba-Morley, A., Keenan-Jones, D., Wright, N.J., Morley, M.W., Gorringe, J., Scholz, G., Lowe, K.M., Ustunkaya, C., Stephens, S., Moss, P.T. and Westaway, M.C. (2024) Fish Traps, Seed-Grinding and Food Stores: Reconstructing Complex Mithaka Indigenous Economic and Water Management Technologies, The Oxford Handbook of Global Indigenous Archaeologies. Oxford, United Kingdom. Oxford University Press 1-69. https://doi.org/10.1093/oxfordhb/9780197607695.013.60
Presentations
2025 Keenan-Jones, D., Gorringe, M., Shulmeister, J., Gorringe, T., Stephens, S., Connolly, C., Gorringe, J., Gorringe, S., Westaway, M., and Mithaka Corporation. Indigenous Fishing at Stony Crossing, Mithaka Country, Queensland Australia. Presented at the 10th World Archaeological Congress, Darwin, Australia.
2023 Stephens, S. Using more elements in archaeological fish bone identification yields new insights into marine subsistence in the tropics. Presented at the International Council for Zooarchaeology Conference, Cairns, Australia.