An Archaeology of Australia Since 1788

The practical volume was brought together as an overview of Australian post-contact history using the evidence of material objects (artefacts, buildings, and landscapes) and the evidence they produced. It is a synthesis of the results of thirty years of work by historical archaeologists in Australia, with particular reference to information that provides insight into the day-to-day life of Australians in settings such as pastoral stations, farms, whalers camps, gold fields, emigrant ships, convict stations, or urban neighbourhoods. The different conditions experienced by various groups of people will also be considered, including rich and poor, convicts and their administrators, Aboriginal people, women, children, and migrants. Themes have been chosen that reflect prominent issues in Australian history, the range and nature of the archaeological studies that have been carried out, and the book s focus on daily lives and living conditions. Chapters have been structured to facilitate the broadest possible geographic and temporal coverage, while also reflecting the nature of the archaeology that has been done. Social themes such as gender, status, ethnicity and identity will inform every chapter - demostrating that these integral part of life cannot be separated from archaeologies of industry, urbanisation, and culture contact. Engagement with a range of contemporary discussions within Australian society and the international discipline of historical archaeology is essential to enlivening the text and giving it meaning, as well as providing the opportunity for critical assessment. The material used is inherently part of the global processes of colonisation and the creation of settler societies, the industrial revolution, the development of mass consumer culture, and the emergence of national identities. Drawing out these themes as appropriate and integrating them with the analysis of archaeological materials is what makes archaeology relevant in modern society.