Iain Davidson

5

Articles

138

Comments

Iain completed his Ph.D in archaeology at Cambridge University, UK, based on Spanish Palaeolithic fauna and economy, and has since carried out research and publication on the Spanish Palaeolithic and on Australian prehistory. He has published extensively on the archaeology of language origins. He conducts research on all aspects of archaeology including painted caves in Northwestern Queensland and consultancy in Queensland, N.S.W. and Western Australia. He has just published a book on art with Springer: Nature "Art or Scribbles? In the eye of the beholder: the evolutionary emergence of visual communication".

Experience

  • –present
    Emeritus Professor, Faculty of Arts and Sciences, School of Humanities, University of New England
  • 2008–2009
    Visting Chair of Australian Studies, Anthropology Department, Harvard University

Education

  • 1981 
    University of Cambrige, UK, PhD (Archaeology and Anthropology)

Publications

  • 2025
    Art or Scribbles? In the eye of the beholder: the evolutionary emergence of visual communication, Springer Nature
  • 2021
    Making scenes: global perspectives on scenes in rock art, Berghahn Books
  • 2013
    Peopling the last new worlds: The first colonisation of Sahul and the Americas, Quaternary International
  • 2010
    Australian archaeology as historical science, Journal of Australian Studies 34, 377-398.
  • 2010
    The colonization of Austalia and its adjacent islands, and the evolution of modern cognition, Current Anthropology 51(s1) s177-s189

Grants and Contracts

  • 2012
    International Cultural Heritage Management Benchmarking Project--Pilot Project
    Role:
    Partner Consultant
    Funding Source:
    Woodside Energy Ltd

Research Areas

  • Archaeology (2101)
  • Archaeology Of Australia (Excl. Aboriginal And Torres Strait Islander) (210104)
  • Archaeology Of Europe, The Mediterranean And The Levant (210105)

Honours

Fellow of the Australian Academy of Humanities 1994-present. Awarded Rhys Jones Medal of the Australian Archaeological Association 2010

Contact Iain for

  • General
  • Media request
  • Speaking request
  • Consulting / Advising
  • Research collaboration
  • Research supervision