What is Historical Archaeology?

Historical archaeology is the study of the recent past and most often deals with the archaeology of European society since the 15th century. In Australia this means that historical archaeology focusses most closely on the last 200 years of European settlement.

		Historical archaeologists use archival and other documents (such as diaries, letters, maps, plans, photographs and official records), oral history interviews and archaeological methods to reconstruct what life was like for the many different groups of people who settled Australia.  ‘Contact’ sites (places where Indigenous and non-Indigenous activities overlap, such as missions or station camps) are often deemed to be historical sites because they fall within the colonial time period. The main types of historical archaeological site often reflect the different kinds of industries which have been established, such as mining, pastoralism, agriculture, commerce, whaling, or timber-getting.  Ordinary domestic sites and other facets of past human behaviour, such as houses, schools, hospitals or cemeteries, are equally valuable, because they have the potential to tell us about the everyday lives of ordinary people
Click image to see footage of an historical archaeological excavation at 188 Gilles St, Adelaide (requires Windows Media Player).

Dedicated topics in historical archaeology at Flinders include:
ARCH2002: Historical Archaeology of Australia (offered in odd numbered years);
ARCH3004: Global Historical Archaeology (offered in even numbered years); and
ARCH3303: Historical Archaeology Field school (offered intermittently).

For more information about studying historical archaeology at Flinders please contact the lecturer in Historical Archaeology, Dr Heather Burke.

Current Projects

Myth, Memory and Material Culture: The Archaeology of the Repat Air Raid Shelters
In 2004 staff and students at Flinders University began an ongoing investigation of the air raid shelters built at the Repatriation Hospital at Daw Park during World War II.

Historical Archaeology of Adelaide Database
Each year work by students in ARCH2002: Australian Historical Archaeology contributes to a growing database of the historical archaeology of South Australia. This database is publicly available for research purposes and contains material on South Australian cemetery monuments, public monuments and 19th and early 20th century buildings.

Past Projects

Brighton Smugglers Tunnel
Burra Community Archaeology Project
Divett Street Website design: Arch2301 group
Fern Avenue Community Project
Port Adelaide Historical Archaeology Project (PAHA) - Quebec Street Excavation (PDF)
The Archaeology of Vehicle and Machinery Assemblages Associated with Rural Farm Properties
Turner's Paddock and Historic Rubbish Disposal in Adelaide (PDF)
Uncle Toms Cabin, Port Willunga