National Archaeology Week

A national appreciation of heritage and archaeology beginning the third Sunday of May each year.

Checkout the national website: http://www.archaeologyweek.com

Interested in National Archaeology Week 2008?

National Archaeology Week for 2008 will run from 18th - 24th May, in conjunction with History Week. If you're interested in finding out more, contact the Department of Archaeology.

Events for South Australia, 18th - 24th May, 2008.

ARCHAEOLOGY SCHOOL PROGRAM

State: SA
Where: Marryatville Primary School, Dankel Avenue, Kensington.
When: 28 April -26 May 2008
Cost: Free
Contact: Anna Leditschke at ledi0008@flinders.edu.au

Presented in conjunction with the Council of Norwood, Payneham and St. Peters, this five week course is designed to teach local school children the importance of archaeology and history in their Council ward. Students from Flinders University will introduce students from Marryatville Primary School to the basics of archaeological study, as well as how we can use this information to uncover the past histories of individuals from the area. This will culminate in a simulated dig, where students will have the opportunity to experience archaeology in the field, utilising their newly acquired skills and knowledge.

FLINDERS UNIVERSITY LIBRARY DISPLAY

State: SA
Where: Central and Sturt campus Library Displays at Flinders. Flinders University, Bedford Park.
When: Saturday 17 May – Friday 30 May.
Cost: Free

A display of posters, books and artefacts at the Flinders University Central Library foyer and another display at the Sturt Campus Library will be held from 17-30 May 2008. These displays will mainly include the theme of maritime and
historic archaeology focussing on research and excavation projects carried out by archaeologists at Flinders and other institutions. The displays include information on whaling sites, shipwreck laws, early shipwreck looting in Australia and some interesting books published on the various subjects. It will also include a display of 'artefacts' created by Flinders University archaeology students as part of a project. Come and view the displays and learn about the interesting archaeological projects going on in Australia.

ARCH1001: Artefact replicas
Part of the assessment for students in this topic was to replicate an artefact from any of the cultures or time periods covered by the ARCH1001 course. The replication process was designed to introduce students to the process of
experimental archaeology and to how archaeologists interpret human behaviour from material objects. You are invited to appreciate the creativity and ingenuity of these students in devising their own manufacturing processes to replicate these artefacts and to learn about the past through their interpretive reproductions.

These displays have been organised by Jennifer Rodrigues and Jun Kimura.

SUSAN PIDDOCK
SLATE QUARRIES AND THE WORLD OF DELABOLE, WILLUNGA

State: SA
Where: Meet outside the Slate Museum (rear of Courthouse Museum). 61 High Street, Willunga
When: Sunday 18 May 2008, 12 pm -1pm.
Cost: Free. There is a minimal charge for entrance into the museums. Please check the website http://www.nationaltrustsa.org.au/properties/willunga.htm
Contact: Susan Piddock at Susan.Piddock@flinders.edu.au

In the hills above the town of Willunga lies a less well known village. Today the village of Delabole consists of a series of rapidly disappearing cottages, the foreman’s house and a chapel. The village was located just a stones throw from the Delabole Quarry, closely linking the families with their work place. While rapidly disappearing these cottages represent a life long passed where a close knit community built their own chapel of slate above the village overlooking the community and the nearby hills. Many of the people who lived at Delabole were Cornish and they bought with them their knowledge and their way of life to a new land. In this talk I will be looking at the world of slate quarrying in Nineteenth Century Willunga and life in the village of Delabole.

ARCHAEOLOGY AT THE ADELAIDE GAOL
DEPARTMENT FOR ENVIRONMENT AND HERITAGE

State: SA
Where: Adelaide Gaol, 18 Gaol Road, Thebarton.
When: Sunday 18 May and Wednesday 21 May, 12.00 noon – 1.00 pm
Cost: $8.50 Adult/ $7 Concession/ $5.50 Child.
Contact: Enquiries and bookings: Dennis May, 8231 4062

Parking available off street.
Group limit 25. Bookings required for this event.
Website: www.adelaidegaol.org.au
SA Heritage Register: www.environment.sa.gov.au/heritage/assess.html

An archaeological investigation is currently taking place at Adelaide Gaol. So far, the investigation has recovered finds reflecting the changing nature of prisoners' activities at the gaol, their personal life and secrets. The archaeology is also offering new reflections on the shared cultural landscape of the Torrens River between 1836 when settlement of Adelaide commenced and 1840 when construction of the gaol commenced. Archaeologist for the project, Dr Keryn Walshe from the South Australian Museum will give a 30-40 minute talk on the archaeology and show some of the finds. Come and share the excitement of ‘seeing' early Adelaide through the archaeology of the Adelaide Gaol. The archaeological works area will be out of bounds for safety reasons but the talk will take place in the adjacent yard in view of works.

HELEN DEGNER
19TH CENTURY CHILDHOOD AND THE ARCHAEOLOGY OF DEATH

State: SA
Where: Meet inside St Stephens Anglican Church Cemetery. Aldinga Rd, Willunga.
When: Sunday 18 May 2008, 10.30-11.30 am
Cost: Free
Contact: Helen Degner at jens0030@flinders.edu.au

As material culture, gravestones convey history as well as archaeology. Although 19th century South Australia represents a time when social attitudes toward children meant that childhood was recognised as a separate phase of life, children were still very much part of the adult world. In this talk I will discuss the role of children in 19th century colonial South Australia and how they were memorialised in the Fleurieu Peninsula cemetery landscape. Off street parking is available.

MIKE ADAMSON
WEST TERRACE CEMETERY TOUR

State: SA
Where: Meet at West Terrace Cemetery entrance. 161 West Terrace, Adelaide.
When: Sunday 18 May 2008, 2pm-3pm
Cost: Free
Contact: Mike Adamson at jammer@senet.com.au

West Terrace Cemetery, originally the Adelaide Public Cemetery, was part of Colonel Light's original draft plan of 1838, and was the primary burial ground for the City of Adelaide and its immediate villages. As such it represents a standing connection with the colonial era, one of the few parts of the urban or rural landscape in which materials dating from the mid-19th century have been preserved in substantially unchanged form. This offers a conduit for research into Victorian-era Australia for the historical archaeologist, and many surveys have been performed in recent years looking at a variety of aspects.

ANNA LEDITSCHKE
PUBLIC ARCHAEOLOGY DISPLAY

State: SA
Where: Marryatville Primary School, Dankel Avenue, Kensington.
When: Monday 19 May 2008, From 11 am onwards.
Cost: Free
Contact: Anna Leditschke at ledi0008@flinders.edu.au

This public archaeology display will be co-ordinated by Anna Leditschke and Crystal Henry and will run in conjunction with the Archaeology School Program at Marryatville Primary School. Students from Marryatville Primary School will be participating in a simulated dig. The Old Bootmaker and the Publican are two individuals (Mr Simon Heane and Mr Ben Morey) who lived in Bridge Street around the 1850s onwards. The Old Bootmaker’s store still exists as does the Rising Sun Inn, which is situated across the street. The simulated dig will consist of items belonging to these individuals and will allow students to gain a better understanding of the archaeological process.

MARTIN WIMMER
THE HISTORIC GAWLER FOUNDRY LECTURE

State: SA
Where: Room 101 Humanities Building, Flinders University, Bedford Park.
When: Monday 19 May, 1-2pm
Cost: Free
Contact: Martin Wimmer at wimm0001@flinders.edu.au

In February and March 2008, Austral Archaeology Pty Ltd was engaged to monitor and record a site in Gawler, South Australia which is currently being redeveloped as a shopping centre complex.

The site was formerly the location of the James Martin & Co. Phoenix Foundry. It is thought that this may have been the first foundry in South Australia and is consequently of State and local heritage interest. The Foundry, built on 18 acres, operated from approximately 1870-1930 and at its height employed in the vicinity of 1,000 people. The site has been re-used often since that time. Fabric still visible and relating to the time of the Foundry include two furnace chimneys, retaining walls, coal/ore chute, factory façade with arched entrance and various sections of buildings.

The archaeologists were tasked with monitoring the demolition of the more modern structures on the block and with overseeing the removal of the car park matrix and top soil. They were also briefed to record any structures and artefacts which may be uncovered through mechanical excavation and interpret them in the context of what is known of the Foundry business and the surviving Foundry structures.

This talk will provide a brief history of the foundry and discuss the findings and results of the archaeological survey conducted there.

MARGARET O’HEA
AUSTRALIAN ARCHAEOLOGISTS IN THE NEAR EAST: A CONTINUING TRADITION

State: SA
Where: Room 133 Humanities Building, Flinders University, Bedford Park.
When: Monday 19 May, 4-5pm
Cost: Free

Australian archaeologists have long made valuable contributions to the study of Near Eastern archaeology, from the theoretical work of V. Gordon Childe (the “Neolithic Revolution”) to current revisions off our understanding of developments in the earliest agriculture and urbanism, or cultural identities in Late Antiquity or early Islamic architecture and material culture. How did this tradition develop, and where is it going?

This talk will be given by Margaret O’Hea, Senior Lecturer and Head of Classics at the University of Adelaide.

ROBERT STONE
STATELY HOMES LECTURE

State: SA
Where: Humanities North Lecture theatre 2, Flinders University, Bedford Park.
When: Wednesday 21 May 2008, 4-5 pm
Cost: Free
Contact: Bob Stone at Robert.stone@flinders.edu.au

Stately homes convey more than buildings providing shelter. While planned for domestic use, spatial arrangements, style, external design, scale and elaboration exceeded the practical functions. Vestibules, ballrooms, libraries and billiard rooms indicate a wider social purpose; they were places of power, culture and class. This talk will be illustrated with images of nineteenth century homes a cross South Australia.

ARCHAEOLOGY QUIZ NIGHT

State: SA
Where: Don Arturo's Restaurant. 489 Brighton Road, Brighton.
When: Wednesday 21 May 2008, 6 pm
Cost: Gold coin entry. $10 optional menu
Contact: Bookings essential, RSVP by Saturday 17 May, contact Cassandra Taylor at tayl0415@flinders.edu.au to reserve a seat

Our annual Quiz Night is a great event to be involved in. Questions for everyone, not just archaeologists, and loads of fun awaits you at this event. Prizes will be awarded on the night. This year the Quiz Night will be held at Don Arturo’s Restaurant in Brighton, just opposite Charlie’s Diner, on Wednesday 21st May. It promises to be a big night but there are limited seats. Contact Cassandra Taylor by the 17th of May to reserve your seat at only the cost of a gold coin. There will be 8-10 people per table so round up your friends and enjoy a wonderful night.

An optional set menu which includes three courses is available for $10.

Set Menu

Entrée:
Bruschetta

Main Course:
(choice of)
Roast with vegetables
Pasta Bolognaise
Pasta Napolitana

Dessert:
Apple Strudle

If you are interested in the set menu please enquire when making a booking. Parking is available at the back of the restaurant. Payment for the meal is on the night.

JENNIFER RODRIGUES
PUBLIC SEMINAR

State: SA
Where: Room 133 Humanities Building, Flinders University, Bedford Park
When: Thursday 22 May 2008, 3-5 pm
Cost: Free
Contact: Jennifer Rodrigues at rodr0010@flinders.edu.au

Title: "Amnesty collections reveal impact of looting on Australian shipwreck sites".
By: Jennifer Rodrigues (Associate Lecture in Maritime Archaeology at Flinders & PhD Candidate at the University of Western Australia).

Since the invention of SCUBA by the French following WWII, there has been significant increase in people venturing underwater to search for treasures, continue to indulge in spearfishing and discover what had been hidden beneath the surface of the sea. In Australia, pioneer divers did the same in the waters off Australia 's vast coastline, particularly in the 1950s and 60s. One of the consequences was a significant human impact on historically and archaeologically valuable shipwrecks that contained information about trade, life on board, cargo carried, personal possessions and social status amongst other information. After three decades of suspected shipwreck looting, the Australian government introduced the Commonwealth legislation to protect historic shipwrecks. Almost 20 years later, in 1993, a nation-wide amnesty was declared calling for all members of the public with protected shipwreck relics to declare them without fear of prosecution. This talk will include preliminary results on what was looted from shipwrecks, why this was done, how this has impacted on the archaeological record as well as a brief assessment on the effectiveness of the amnesty in retrospect.

HEATHER BURKE
PUBLIC EXCAVATIONS
Beneath the Floorboards: Archaeology at the Old Mitcham Police Station

State: SA
Where: The Old Mitcham Police Station, 103 Princes Rd, Mitcham.
When: Friday 23 May and Saturday 24 May, 2008, 10-4 pm.
Cost: $5.00
Contact: Heather Burke at heather.burke@flinders.edu.au

The Old Mitcham Police Station has been in constant use since it was built in 1891, serving the community of Mitcham for over 110 years. Excavation beneath the floors of the building has the potential to provide a window into the history of Mitcham and police activities in the local area. The excavations for this project will be conducted in conjunction with National Archaeology Week and SA History Week, and will be offered as a publicly-accessible event to promote the history and heritage of Mitcham. Guided tours of the site, the process of archaeology and the artefacts will be offered through both programs, and the excavations will be open to the public generally on the 23rd and 24th of May.

If you are a Flinders University archaeology student, and would like to sign up for some excavation experience, please fill out the form.

LYNLEY WALLIS
PUBLIC LECTURE

State: SA
Where: The Royal Society Rooms , SA Museum, North Terrace, Adelaide
When: Friday 23 May 2008, 7 pm
Cost: $8 members of the SA Museum friends group/ $10 general public/ $5 Student
Contact: Lynley Wallis at lynley.wallis@flinders.edu.au

Guests should arrive at 6.45 for a 7 pm start to the lecture. A light supper will follow the talk.

The talk is entitled: Impacts on the cultural heritage and archaeological sites of Iraq during the Coalition Invasion

Abstract
In the wake of the massive destruction of buildings and monuments during World War II UNESCO sponsored the Convention on the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict (also known as the Hague Convention), which came into effect in 1956. The Convention requires that signatory countries draw up a list of cultural property of major importance that other countries should respect during times of armed conflict.  The Convention covers immovable and movable cultural heritage, including monuments of architecture, art or history, archaeological sites, works of art, manuscripts, books and other objects of artistic, historical or archaeological interest, as well as scientific collections of all kinds regardless of their origin or ownership.  It was primarily designed to ensure that losses to the world's cultural heritage such as occurred in WWII never happened again.  Currently, more than 118 nation states (including Australia, though interestingly not the United States nor the United Kingdom) are parties to the Hague Convention.  Iraq (comprising the lands of Mesopotamia between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers) is home to some of the world's oldest and most significant archaeological and cultural heritage sites. As well as being one of earliest centres of agriculture and urban settlements, it was also home to the development of cuneiform writing on clay tablets approximately 5000 years ago. In addition to the numerous archaeological sites scattered through the country, Iraq 's museums, particularly the National Museum in Baghdad, are repositories for many thousands of unique, irreplaceable sculptures, inscribed tablets, seals and other cultural objects that are tangible reminders of the fascinating history of the surrounding region. In this talk I consider the effect of the 2003 Coalition Invasion not only on the archaeological sites of Iraq, but also on the collections held by the National Museum in Baghdad, and raise the issue of the importance of such sites and collections for the construction of national identity.

Author Biography
Dr Lynley Wallis is currently employed as a lecturer in archaeology and cultural heritage management in the Department of Archaeology at Flinders University.  She has more than 15 years experience experience in the industry, having worked variously in the tertiary education sector, government heritage agencies, and as a private consultant.  Her research interests are broad and range from exploration of the longterm Indigenous occupation of northern Australia and the Coorong region of SA, to the interactions between Indigenous groups and settlers in northwestern Queensland during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, to reconstructing palaeoclimatic and vegetation patterns through the past 40,000 years, to the geophysical, historical and archaeological investigation of the historic Maesbury street cemetery in Kensington, SA.

INDIANA JONES MOVIE NIGHT

State: SA
Where: Marion MEGAPLEX, Westfield Shoppingtown, Level 3, 297 Diagonal Rd, Oaklands
When: Saturday 24 May 2008, 6.15 pm start.
Cost: $12.50 Adult/ $10 Student
Contact: Bookings essential, contact Cassandra Taylor at tayl0415@flinders.edu.au to reserve a seat

Indy is back!!! Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull is the next and last instalment in the Indy series. Famed archaeologist/adventurer Dr. Henry "Indiana" Jones returns to the big screen when he becomes entangled in a Soviet plot to uncover the secret behind mysterious artefacts known as the Crystal Skulls. On Saturday 24th May we’re giving you the chance to see the biggest movie of the year at a reduced price. These tickets are only $12.50 and $10 but there are only 80 tickets! So book your tickets by 22 May by contacting Cassandra Taylor. Don’t miss this great opportunity. Payment for the movie is on the night.