The unit takes an historical approach to the subject of the archaeological contribution to our present day understanding of the history of human occupation of Australia before Europeans arrived. It begins with the first European perceptions of Australian Indigenous people and then traces the history of occupation of Australia using some of the major archaeological questions that have influenced our ideas about the Indigenous occupation of Australia in pre-European times. The emphasis in the unit is on examining the archaeological evidence—what it consists of, how it was obtained and how it has been used in constructing arguments. -- Course Website
Instructor: Professor Peter Veth
Prerequisites: ARCY1001 Great Discoveries in Archaeology and ARCY1002 Tribes and Empires and at least one Level 2 Archaeology unit