This is what I was doing in the lab this week — working through the MNI counts for chitons as part of my reanalysis of the marine invertebrate assemblage from Haynes Cave. Applying a method that is more accurate. #archaeomalacology #zooarchaeology #chiton #australianarchaeology #MontebelloIslands

Using archaeological, ethnographic & experimental datasets, we establish a full chaîne opératoire for Melo shell knives—proving manufacture began 46,000 years ago in northern Australia. doi.org/10.1016/j.ja... #zooarchaeology #archaeomalacology #australianarchaeology #experimentalarchaeology

The reduction sequence of a juvenile Melo into a knife followed a set process. The same as technique observed by Tindale in the 1960s in the gulf of Carpentaria. Which is 2,452 km away from Boodie Cave! #archaeomalacology #experimentalarchaeology #australianarchaeology #shelltools

Part of my PhD research looked at shell knives from Boodie Cave, Barrow Island (Hook et al. 2024). We found a 46,000-year tradition of Melo shell knife production—some of the earliest known shell tools made by Homo sapiens. #archaeomalacology #australianarchaeology #experimentalarchaeology

Been a bit quiet—waiting on TO approval for my final PhD paper. I’ve moved into my own lab in the Peter Veth Arch Lab + kicked off archaeomalacological reanalysis of the late Pleistocene and early Holocene Haynes + Noala Caves, Montebello Islands, 1980s digs #shellfish #uwa #australianarchaeology

New article on rock art in the Kimberley #australianarchaeology #rockart #kimberley #westenaustralia

New postdoc in Australian archaeology from Sydney University #auatralianarchaeology #coastalarchaeology #archaeomalacology

Rethinking Australian archaeology narratives: WA’s Aboriginal Heritage Act once centred Aboriginal perspectives, but science now dominates. Using Ingold’s taskscape, we reconnect sites, stories & significance in Nyiyaparli Country. onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1... #taskscape #Aboriginalsites

It’s the way you tell the story - 2 perspectives on rockshelter CB08-500: one sees a typical Pilbara site, the other brings it to life with Nyiyaparli heritage and imagined past events. A fresh take on how we value and interpret Australian archaeological sites. www.archae-aus.com.au/perch/resour...

A new study in Australian archaeology combines Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung cultural insights with evidence from Jacksons Creek (biik wurrdha) to explore Aboriginal earth rings, revealing insights into fire, tool use, and movement by Woi-wurrung ancestors. #australianarchaeology doi.org/10.1080/0312...

Island archaeology through the lens of archaeological science - EAA session this year

Great new paper on Western Australian archaeology and maritime archaeology.

Want all your Australian archaeology posts in one place? Here is a feed - like it and add it to your Bluesky Feeds. It captures any post in the last 7 days with the words ‘Australian archaeology’ and archaeology in Australia’. bsky.app/profile/did:...

Fabulous new paper in Australian Archaeology: Australia’s Overland Telegraph Line, built 50 years pre-Federation, linked the continent to the world. A cybernetic lens shows its interdependent technical, social, and ecological systems. #IndustrialArchaeology #Cybernetics doi.org/10.1080/0312...

No better way to start the new #research year than with a new paper! Enjoy our review on #isotope #sclerochronology on #molluscs led by Andy Johnson! 🥳🍾 www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

Latest archaeomalacology newsletter now out

Already 460 respondents to our Australian Archaeology in Profile 2025: A Survey of Working Archaeologists! 1/3 indicate that they worked for more than 1 employer in 2024. QLD, SA & ACT are still poorly represented. Please complete the survey at: surveymonkey.com/r/profiling2...

The use wear experiments showed that the Boodie Cave beads were strung with their narrower apical ends and wide ends alternating against each other, rather than nested in concatenated style as seen in historical examples. #experimentalarchaeology #archaeomalacology #ancientbeads

My latest paper details how tusk shell beads were strung and tested on a wear machine simulating 10 hours of vigorous wear: 300 RPM, 1.5 agitations/sec, totaling 54,000 agitations—like wearing a necklace during intense activity. #experimentalarchaeology #archaeomalacology #australianarchaeology

I keep wanting different lists of everyone’s archaeology posts. So I’ve created a Coastal archaeology feed. Come and add it to your feeds. bsky.app/profile/did:... #coastalarchaeology #islandarchaeology #maritimearchaeology #submergedlandscapes #marinezooarchaeology #archaeomalacology

In 2005, Scott Fitzpatrick and I started as founding coeditors of the Journal of Island & Coastal Archaeology. In 2025, under Scott’s continued leadership, JICA will publish its 20th volume! Still going strong, with more than 8,000 pages on our deep entanglement with island & coastal ecosystems.

Based on experimental archaeology, we’ve shown that 11,000-year-old scaphopod shell bead production from Boodie Cave (NW Australia) matches how Aboriginal communities in the Kimberley make them today! This the first study of its kind in Australian archaeology. #archaeomalacology #iceage

It’s now officially officially Dr Hook! Graduated my PhD last night at UWA in Australian archaeology. Thesis is titled Early archaeology of the mangrove highway: 50,000 years of Aboriginal marine adaptations from Barrow Island, northwest Australia. #archaeomalacology #experimentalarchaeology

New feed for archaeomalacologists on BlueSky. 🐚 The feed is searching for any posts with the following words: archaeomalacology, sclerochronology, shellfish archaeology, shell archaeology, shell midden, shell bead, shell tool. Let me know what else I can add :) 🐚

Ooh fabulous

An amazing 244 respondents already to our Australian Archaeology in Profile 2025: A Survey of Working Archaeologists! BUT only 12 from South Australia and 4 from the ACT! Where are you????? Please complete the survey at: www.surveymonkey.com/r/profiling2... #AustralianArchaeology

Wonder who is going to apply ?

Tomorrow I’ll be presenting my PhD results at the Australian Archaeology Conference in Cairns, showing the consistent harvesting of subtidal sea grass shellfish from 51-36 to 18-6.5 ka at Boodie Cave #australianarchaeology #archaeomalacology #iceage #pleistocene #ancientmaritimity #zooarchaeology

Australian archaeologists please fill this survey out ! :)

At AAA next week I’ll present the result that the Boodie Cave shellfish record is currently the oldest evidence in Australia of Aboriginal people harvesting shellfish 50,000 years ago. #australianarchaeology #archaeomalacology #pleistocene #ancientmaritimity #archaeomalacology #zooarchaeology

On Wednesday morning I’ll be presenting results of my quantitative analysis of the 50,000 year old marine invertebrate record from Boodie Cave, NW Australia at the Australian Archaeology Conference in Cairns. #australianarchaeology #archaeomalacology #shellfish #ancientmaritimity #zooarchaeology

For the first time in Australian archaeology, using experimental studies and comparisons with historical necklaces, we analysed tusk shell bead manufacture, use-wear, and breakage, revealing insights into late Pleistocene bead crafting, symbolic use, and placement patterns. #AustralianArchaeology

Hello all Australian archaeologists on BlueSky! I’ve just created and Australian archaeology feed for those who are interested. It catches anyone adding #australianarchaeology to their posts. So add it to your profile and make sure you tag your posts bsky.app/profile/did:...

Ancient shell tool traditions in Australia lasting for over 46,000 years. #australianarchaeology #shelltools #archaeomalacology #experimentalarchaeology www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

Part of my research has been to identify and describe one of the oldest continuous Aboriginal shell tool traditions identified in Boodie Cave, Barrow Island commencing 46,000 years ago and still in use until the recent past by Thalanyji people.

YNAC’s counsel are seeking compensation from FMG in the Federal Court. Hundreds of heritage sites, some of similar value to Juukan Gorge, and some possible burial sites have been destroyed by the mine. #archaeology #australianarchaeology #heritagematters www.ngaardamedia.com.au/news/court-c...

#australianarchaeology #archaeology #shellbeads #personaloramentation

My latest PhD paper is now out on the late Pleistocene tusk shell beads from Boodie Cave, Barrow Island, northwest Australia. The paper also includes discussion of usewear analysis and experimental archaeology. doi.org/10.1080/0312...