People

Samantha’s research interests rest across the fields of archaeology and marine science. Her passion for tropical marine environments and cultural heritage led to the completion of her undergraduate degree (BA (hons) Archaeology) at James Cook University in 2014. Samantha’s PhD research focuses on the long-term importance and resilience of marine resources in socio-ecological settings. Her PhD study site is one of the most significant archaeology sites in the Great Barrier Reef due to its size and age – Woppaburra’s Mazie Bay midden, North Keppel Island. Radiocarbon dates confirm Woppaburra’s Mazie Bay midden to be at least 5000-years-old. More specifically, Samantha employs morphometric, sclerochronology, and stable isotope techniques to reconstruct palaeoclimates using archaeological mollusc remains. She completed a 5-month internship at the Australian Museum’s Lizard Island Research Station in 2016-2017 and continues to work as a research assistant on archaeological material from key Papua New Guinea sites. Her PhD supervisory panel includes A/Prof. Katherine Szabó (Monash University), Dr Andrew Hoey (JCU), Dr Patrick Faukner (University of Sydney), A/Prof. Mike Rowland (JCU) and Dr Amy Prendergast (University of Melbourne).