Archaeology in Difficult Times: Relevance, Responsibility, and Public Debate

Abstract

In this time of gathering uncertainty, questions are being posed about the relevance of archaeology to contemporary Australian life. If our research and engagement enjoys high media visibility, it is typically framed as concerned with the past rather than the present. Archaeologists in Australia are rarely called upon to inform public debate or policy, especially compared to scholars in fields such as economics, sociology, and political science.

With expertise in archaeology, biological anthropology, museums and public engagement, in this lecture Professor Michael Westaway considers how archaeology can contribute to contemporary understanding and decision-making. By engaging with problems raised by competing narratives and misinformation, archaeological perspectives can challenge simplistic representations and expose the deployment of these narratives to sow division and reinforce vested interests. When undertaken in close collaboration with Indigenous communities, archaeological inquiry has considerable potential to advance Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples’ rights and sovereignty. The lecture highlights community-focused research undertaken with several Indigenous communities, including the Mithaka, Dunghutti, Ngampaa, Kaurareg, and Aba Wurriya. It argues that transdisciplinary collaborations—where knowledge is braided and exchanged—can amplify under represented voices, stimulate public engagement, and, when carried into classrooms, shape how future generations understand both history and one another.

About the Presenters

Profesor Michael C Westaway

Professor Michael C Westaway teaches in the archaeology program at the University of Queensland and is both an archaeologist and biological anthropologist with a strong interest in the origins of the First Australians and more broadly in the archaeology of Aboriginal Australia and Papua New Guinea. He is easily excited when it comes to collaborative interdisciplinary field work that explores the intersection between archaeology and biology but currently (probably) has too many projects and these include research in Channel Country, Cape York, the highlands of Papua New Guinea and the mid north coast of New South Wales. Fittingly, he is also a National Archaeology Week (NAW) Founder.

Professor Rodney Carter 

Dja Dja Warrung and Yorta Yorta man, Professor Rodney Carter is a prominent professional known for his leadership and advocacy for Indigenous peoples. He is currently the Interim Director of the Mabo Centre which is through a partnership between the National Native Title Council and the University of Melbourne. He served as the Group Chief Executive Officer of the Dja Dja Wurrung Clans Aboriginal Corporation (DDWCAC) and Dja Dja Wurrung Enterprises Pty Ltd (DDWE), based in Bendigo, Central Victoria, Australia for over ten years until May 2025.