Up the Creek Without a Paddle: Australian archaeology in Australian History Education
Presenter
Georgia Williams
Abstract
Australian archaeology has yet to find a comfortable and suitable place in Australian classrooms. Mo
st students and teachers revert to common stereotypes that associate the field with exoticism and ethical controversy. However, progress is gradually being made. Version 9.0 of the Australian Curriculum is introducing ‘Deep Time History of Australia’ into Year 7 History. This unit of work will explore 65,000 years of Indigenous culture and archaeology. This presentation will outline some of the biggest challenges that face the successful implementation of this unit. For comprehensive understandings to be formed, Indigenous culture and Australian archaeology must also be included in senior history coursework. This presentation will juxtapose common senior ancient history topics, themes and misconceptions about archaeology with new content written for a revised ‘Digging Up the Past’ textbook chapter.
About the Presenter
Georgia graduated with first-class honours from the University of Queensland in 2022. Her thesis focused on the topic of ‘archaeology education’ and the new Year 7 ‘Deep Time History of Australia’ teaching unit. She has developed a passion for this topic and has since delivered presentations about archaeology education at the last two Australian Archaeological Association conferences. In her role as co-chair of the Australian National Committee for Archaeology Teaching and Learning (ANCATL) she organised a professional development day for teachers on the final day of the 2023 AAA conference. In her present role at Everick Foundation, she is the Education Program Coordinator, coordinating projects relating to archaeology, education, outreach and Indigenous capacity building. She has commenced her Masters in Secondary Teaching this year and is eager to engage students with Australian archaeology.
About Archaeology Working Papers
The Working Papers in Archaeology seminar series provides a forum for dissemination of archaeological research and ideas amongst UQ archaeology students and staff. All students are invited to attend the series and postgraduate students, from honours upwards, are invited to present their research. The aim is to provide opportunities for students, staff and those from outside UQ, to present and discuss their work in an informal environment. It is hoped that anyone interested in current archaeological directions, both within and outside the School and University, will be able to attend and contribute to the series.
