Please note that Vito will present their paper online, but we will have a room available for those on campus.
Abstract
I present my doctoral research in which I employed a micro-geoarchaeological approach to investigate Pleistocene human dispersals and occupations from critical Pleistocene sites in Southeast Asia. Fossil and artefact chronologies remain unclear because of complex stratigraphy and poorly understood tropical site formation processes, thus hampering an understanding of the timing and drivers of human dispersals into and out of the region. I applied several microstratigraphic methods to two sites flagged as key to understanding the presence of early humans in the region: ancestral Homo floresiensis at Mata Menge, Indonesia at ~0.7–0.3 Ma and Homo sapiens at Tam Pà Ling, Laos ~52–30 ka. I selected these sites for their chronological and environmental diversity, offering insights into the movement of archaic and modern humans in the region.
The microstratigraphic analyses revealed a range of distinct depositional environments. The findings from both sites suggest that climate most likely primarily influenced Pleistocene human movements, although in contrast to archaic humans, modern humans appear to have been more adaptable to climatic fluctuations. Significantly, I demonstrate the effectiveness of microstratigraphy in reconstructing depositional environments and highlight the need for a comprehensive, localised geoarchaeological approach in Southeast Asia.
About the Presenter
Vito is a geoarchaeologist with 20 years of experience in archaeological, heritage and environmental research across Australia, Southeast Asia, and Europe. He specialises in site formation processes in tropical environments through sediment micromorphology and archaeological stratigraphy. Vito currently holds a balanced Lecturer position teaching archaeology, supervising graduate students and contributing to Associate Professor Martin Polkinghorne’s ARC project on the decline of Angkor by analysing human settlements, landscapes, and resilience. He is an associate investigator at the Australian Microarchaeology and Palaeosciences Facility (AusMaP), Visiting Professor at the University of the Philippines School of Archaeology and affiliated researcher at the University of the Philippines’ Biogeography, Environment, Evolution and Climate Laboratory.
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.
