- More Franklin expedition sailors identified through DNA research
- Tasmanian tiger lives on in Arnhem Land rock art
- Bill Fox named Member of Order of Canada
More Franklin expedition sailors identified through DNA research
Research conducted by Dr Douglas Stenton, an alumnus of the Trent Anthropology MA program, has matched DNA from sailors recovered from the ill-fated Franklin Expedition to living descendants. They have identified three more crew members from the HMS Erebus, and a captain from HMS Terror. This work builds on earlier discoveries and contributions from our late colleague, the esteemed bioarchaeologist Dr Anne Keenleyside, who passed in October 2022.
Tasmanian tiger lives on in Arnhem Land rock art
Recent rock art research by Dr Paul Taçon, alumnus of the Trent Anthropology MA program has shown that the Tasmanian tiger or Thylacine might have persisted in parts of mainland Australia thousands of years longer than previously thought. Tasmanian tigers and another well known species Tasmanian devil were widely believed to have become extinct on mainland Australia around 3,000 years ago. Depictions of thylacines and Tasmanian devils are known to date from at least 15,000 years ago, but these new images discovered might date to about 1,000 years ago, potentially documenting later extinction in parts of northern Australia.
The Devil Is in the Detail: Tasmanian Devil and Tasmanian Tiger Paintings From Awunbarna and Injalak Hill, Northern Territory, Australia has been published in Archaeology in Oceania.
William Fox named to Order of Canada
June 2024 - We are very pleased to announce that research fellow and adjunct professor in the graduate program Bill Fox was named as a Member of the Order of Canada. This honour recognises individuals who have made lasting and positive impacts on communities here in Canada, or who have brought honour to the country abroad. Bill is one of Canada's foremost authorities on archaeology. This appointment recognises his achievements, purpose and exceptional talent such as his advocacy for the participation of Indigenous communities in preserving their material heritage, his wide-ranging research projects, and his involvement in the Ontario Archaeological Society. Bill's contributions and commitment to archaeology are spectacular, and we are very fortunate to have him! Bill has taught and co-supervised Anthropology and Archaeology students at the undergraduate and graduate levels, is a past Director of TUARC, and continues to be a valued contributor to our department and program's teaching and research.