Annie Carson

Curator, Archaeology

Managing the Museum’s Archaeology collection, comprising surface collections and excavated material from some of Western Australia’s most significant Aboriginal sites. The collection also includes historic material from early Western Australian European settlements such as Old Onslow and Cossack, as well as stone tools and other archaeological finds from around the world.

I came to the Anthropology and Archaeology Department in January 2014 following a long stint working as a research assistant, project manager and consulting archaeologist in Archaeology at the University of WA. My research interests and expertise are primarily in Australian Indigenous archaeology, from pre-European colonisation to the historical period. I am particularly interested in rock art, Aboriginal coastal economies and the contact period, and have recently spent time working on community-driven heritage projects to record traditional Aboriginal knowledge of sites, country, plants and animals.

I am currently working with UWA archaeologists on two Western Australian projects; an ARC-funded project on the archaeology of Barrow Island, which investigates the antiquity and nature of human occupation of this offshore island, and an IHP-funded project on the Wajarri heritage values and archaeology of Weld Range. In addition to this I am currently researching some enigmatic pieces of rock art in the Museum’s collection, and supervise Masters of Professional Archaeology (MPA) student interns.

Collections

My current duties include managing the Museum’s Archaeology collection, comprising surface collections and excavated material from some of Western Australia’s most significant Aboriginal sites. The collection also includes historic material from early Western Australian European settlements such as Old Onslow and Cossack, as well as stone tools and other archaeological finds from around the world. I also assist in the management of other department collections such as the Aboriginal Cultures and World Cultures collections.

Other associations

Annie is a member of the Australian Archaeological Association Inc.

Exhibitions and Public Programs

I facilitate access to the collections for researchers and Aboriginal groups and provide advice / information to the public, students, government departments, researchers and other departments within the Museum. Since joining the Anthropology and Archaeology Department I have worked on the Afghanistan: Hidden Treasures from the National Museum Kabul exhibition.

Selected Publications