Format: Paper presentations with discussion
Convenors:
Caitlin D’Gluyas, The University of Queensland, Australia, c.dgluyas@uq.edu.au
Nicholas Hadnutt, Senior Curator, Archaeology, Queensland Museum, Australia, nicholas.hadnutt@qm.qld.gov.au
This session invites presenters to consider the value of collections and archaeological assemblages in historical archaeology, particularly critically examining how material culture limits or creates opportunity for research, engagement or other outcomes. This session compliments the archaeological collections forum by inviting contributions that may address methodological approaches to storage, management or access to collections, the ethics of collection curation, analysing collections or their intersection with public history and community. By examining the ways in which archaeological archives inform our understanding of historical contexts, this session aims to deepen our understanding of the material legacies that shape contemporary interpretations of the past.
Papers:
Reconnections: Tiwi Objects at the Wereldmuseum, the Netherlands
Mirani Litster, Archaeology, Flinders University, Australia
Wonu Veys, Wereldmuseum; University of Leiden, the Netherlands
Rachel Popelka-Filcoff, University of Melbourne
Richard Hyacinth Tungutulum, Jarmin Patrick Puruntatameri, Virgil Robin Kerinaiua, Dion Bruno Apuatimi and Alan James, Tiwi Land Council
Wendy van Duivenvoorde, Archaeology, Flinders University, Australia
Kellie Pollard, Northern Institute, Charles Darwin University, Australia
Daryl Wesley, Archaeology, Flinders University, Australia
The Wereldmuseum in the Netherlands houses a significant collection of twenty Tiwi hardwood spears, throwing sticks and clubs, displaying traces of red, yellow and white ochre. The objects are emblematic of early intercultural encounters in Australia, and many researchers have attributed their collection to the 1705 Dutch East India (VOC) expedition led by Maarten van Delft. In September 2024 a delegation of four Tiwi men, Richard Hyacinth Tungutulum, Jarmin Patrick Puruntatameri, Virgil Robin Kerinaiua and Dion Bruno Apuatimi visited the objects at the Wereldmuseums collections near the Hague, performing song and dance, marking a significant historical reconnection with these objects taken from Melville Island centuries earlier. In this paper we outline our collaborative research to reconstruct the complex biographies of these objects.
Sub-surface to All-purpose: Using Significance to Manage Australia’s Only State Historical Archaeological Collection
Anne-Louise Muir, Heritage Curator, Heritage Victoria, Australia
Dr Holly Jones-Amin, Senior Conservator, Team Leader Objects, Textiles and Archaeology, Grimwade Conservation Services. The University of Melbourne, Australia
Lucy Welsh, Manager (Senior Associate), Victorian Archaeology and Conservation, Extent Heritage, Australia
Marica Mucic, Objects Conservator, Grimwade Conservation Services. The University of Melbourne, Australia
Tucked away in a small building in an inner-city Melbourne suburb lies the heart of Victoria’s historical archaeological collection. Managed by Heritage Victoria (HV), it is Australia’s only state historical archaeological collection, comprising over 200,000 artefacts from more than 350 historical land and maritime sites—and it continues to grow.
The introduction of strong archaeology controls in the state’s Heritage Act in 1995 and Melbourne’s development boom in the 2000s led to an increase in archaeological work, quickly exceeding HV’s storage capacity. In response, significance guidelines were developed to assess the collection and inform future management. These guidelines also shape fieldwork methodologies and approaches to research design, requiring archaeologists to consider the concept of significance from the outset. Excavation proposals must outline research questions, methodologies, and artefact management plans that specify what will be collected, retained and conserved post-excavation.
The collection is a living, dynamic and actively used resource for research, comparative analysis and interpretation. As we study these artefacts, our understanding of their significance deepens, reinforcing their value. This paper outlines the significance framework and its role in shaping the retention, conservation, and long-term management of Victoria’s archaeological heritage.
Out of the Box: Challenges Faced Managing Historical Archaeological Assemblages at the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery
Kirsten Brett, Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery, Australia
With no dedicated archaeological repository, Tasmanian historical archaeological collections are scattered throughout the state. The Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery has a substantial legacy collection of historical archaeological material with inconsistent levels of post excavation processing and supporting documentation. Recent efforts to enhance accessibility for researchers and exhibition has uncovered the myriad of issues faced when you open boxes untouched since being deposited in a storage facility. This paper shall give an overview of these collections, the challenges faced in managing them and question how we can bring these collections back to life.
From Plantation to Archive: Connecting Community Through Consultation and Access to the Pioneer Sugar Estate Artefact Assemblage and Archaeological Records
Adele Zubrzycka, University of Queensland, Australia
Imelda Miller, Queensland Museum Network, Australia
In 2022, two archaeological field seasons were completed at the Pioneer Sugar Estate in Brandon, North Queensland for the Australian Research Council-funded Archaeology, Collections, and Australian South Sea Islander Living Identities project. Australian South Sea Islanders are descendants of over 50,000 men and women recruited from approximately seventy South Pacific islands to work in New South Wales and Queensland’s sugar industry between 1863 and 1904. The Pioneer Sugar Estate (est. 1881) was one of many sugar plantations and mills employing South Sea Islanders under indentured contracts during this period. Archaeological excavations on the estate focussed on the site of three former South Sea Islander dwellings and were carried out in collaboration and consultation with the Australian South Sea Islander community. In total, 7,110 artefacts were recovered from two dwelling landscapes. These objects hold social and historical significance amongst the Australian South Sea Islander community, representing a tangible connection to their own cultural heritage and identity. This paper presents the goals and outcomes of working with the community to find a permanent and accessible repository for the site’s artefact assemblage and accompanying fieldwork records. It also explores the collection’s broader researcher significance and considers its capacity for future engagement and interpretation.
New Perspectives for Colonial Objects. The Jesuit Collection at the La Plata Museum (Argentina)
Maria Victoria Roca, CONICET, Argentina
The La Plata Museum was founded in 1888. Since then, it has been one of the leading museums in South America. Its founding collections include a set of archaeological remains from the missions that the Jesuit order founded among the Guaraní indigenous people between the 17th and 18th centuries. Only a few pieces from this collection have been subject of specific studies.
In 2022, a process of restoration of value of the Jesuit heritage of this museum began with the restoration and display in a new gallery of four objects corresponding to sandstone architectural remains. At the same time, archaeological analyses of these and other lithic remains, some still in storage, were initiated. A formal study was conducted, the objects were contextualised, and their biographical trajectory was reconstruct using different documents.
The results obtained demonstrate the research potential of this collection more than 130 years after its incorporation into the institution’s collection. This paper presents the progress achieved to date and discusses the processes that Jesuit-Guarani materiality has undergone over time.