Dr Judith Field
Position
Senior Research Associate
Contact
Email:
Ph: + 61 2 9351 7412
Fax: + 61 2 9351 7682
Qualifications
BA (Syd), Hons (UNSW), PhD (UNSW), Research Fellow in Archaeology.
Background
Research and laboratory work in physiology and developmental vision prior to developing interests in archaeology, geography and palaeoenvironments at the University of Sydney, UNSW, the Australian Museum. President: Australian Archaeological Association, 2004-2005.
Research project
Judith is working on excavation and analysis of the Pleistocene archaeological site of Cuddie Springs in western New South Wales (ARC Discovery Grant DP0557923 "First Australians, Last Megafauna? Modern Approaches to a Prehistoric Puzzle.") Current collaborations include Dr. Clive Trueman, Southampton, UK & Dr. M-J Mountain, ANU on REE studies of faunal remains from Nombe Rockshelter PNG.
Other research interests
- Functional investigation of flaked and ground stone tools, including identification and characterisation of organic residues on stone tools from plants, in the form of starch and phytoliths. (Dr. Li Liu, La Trobe; Prof. G Summerhayes, Otago; Dr. P. Lape, Washington)
- Investigation of the antiquity of rainforest occupation in tropical Australia. (Dr R. Cosgrove (La Trobe) & Dr. L. Kealhofer on starch and phytoliths)
- Palaeoenvironmental reconstruction involving the study of fossil pollen and microscopic charcoal.
- Taphonomic studies of modern and fossil bone. (with Dr M. Fillios, USyd)
Selected publications
- Fullagar, R., Field, J., & Kealhofer, L. 2008. Grinding stones and seeds of change: starch and phytoliths as evidence of plant food processing In Y. M. Rowan and J. R. Ebeling (Editors) New Approaches to Old Stones: Recent Studies of Ground Stone Artifacts. Equinox Publishing P/L. Pp. 159-172.
- Field, J., Fillios, M., Wroe, S. 2008., Chronological overlap between humans and megafauna in Sahul (Pleistocene Australia–New Guinea): A review of the evidence, Earth-Science Reviews, doi:10.1016/j.earscirev.2008.04.006
- Field, J. 2006. Trampling the Pleistocene: does taphonomy matter at Cuddie Springs? Australian Archaeology 63, 9-20.
- Trueman, C.N.G., Field, J.H., Dortch, J., Charles, B. & Wroe, S. 2005. Prolonged co-existence of humans and megafauna in Pleistocene Australia. Proceedings of the National Academy of Science 102 (23), 8383-8385.
- Wroe, S. & Field, J. 2006. A review of the evidence for a human role in the extinction of Australian Megafauna and an alternative explanation. Quaternary Science Reviews 25, 2692-2703.
- Fullagar, R., Field, J., Denham, T. & Lentfer, C. 2006. Early and mid Holocene processing of taro (Colocasia esculenta) and yam (Dioscorea sp.) at Kuk Swamp in the Highlands of Papua New Guinea. Journal of Archaeological Science 33, 595-614.
- Brown, O.J.F., Field, J. & Letnic, M. 2006. Variation in the taphonomic effect of scavengers in semi-arid NSW linked to rainfall and the El Nino Southern Oscillation (ENSO). International Journal of Osteoarchaeology 16, 165-176.
- Field JH, Dodson JR & Prosser IP 2002. A Late Pleistocene vegetation history from the Australian semi-arid zone. Quaternary Science Reviews 21 (8-9): 1023-1037.
