The University of Western Australia

Assoc/Prof Joe Dortch

Director/Associate Professor
Eureka Archaeological Research and Consulting Centre

Contact details

Address

Eureka Archaeological Research and Consulting Centre
The University of Western Australia (M405)
35 Stirling Highway
CRAWLEY WA 6009
Australia

Phone

6488 2860

Email

joe.dortch@uwa.edu.au

Qualifications

BA S'ton, PhD W.Aust.

Biography

I'm interested in the interaction between past hunter-gatherer societies and their environments, particularly in Australia.
I have directed research projects investigating Aboriginal responses to post-glacial change, archaeological evidence for Late Pleistocene faunal extinctions, and past Aboriginal burning and landscape management in south-western Australia. I have also consulted to communities and industry, assesing heritage sites and recommending management strategies, in south-western Australlia, metropolitan Perth, Pilbara, Goldfields and Gascoyne regions.

Key research

Environmental archaeology; Australian Aboriginal archaeology; ethnography and archaeology; taphonomy; faunal remains analysis; macroscopic charcoal analysis (anthracology); stone artefact analysis; application of Geographical Information Systems in archaeology; ancient DNA in aarchaeology.

Publications

Journals
Rasmussen, M., and 56 others, including Dortch, J. 2011 An Aboriginal Australian Genome Reveals Separate Human Dispersals into Asia. Science 22 Sep 2011.
Dortch, J., Balme, J. and Ogilvie, J. in press Aboriginal responses to Late Quaternary environmental change in a Mediterranean-type region: zooarchaeological evidence from south-western Australia. Quaternary International.
Rusack, E., Dortch, J., Hayward, K., Renton, M., Grierson, P., & Boer, M. in press The role of habitus in the maintenance of traditional Noongar plant knowledge in southwest Western Australia. Human Ecology.
Dortch, J. and Wright, R.V.S. 2010 Identifying palaeo-environments and changes in Aboriginal subsistence from dual-patterned faunal assemblages, south-western Australia. Journal of Archaeological Science 37:1053-1064.
Oskam., C., Haile, J., Rigby, P., Alemtoft, M., Olsen, M., Gifford, M., Jacomb, C., Baynes, A. Dortch, J., Parker-Pearson, M., Gilbert, T., Holdaway, R., Willerslev, E., Bunce, M. 2010 Fossil avian eggshell preserves ancient DNA. Proceedings of the Royal Society B 277:1991-2000.
Dortch, J., Dortch, C., and Reynolds, R. 2006 Investigation of Aboriginal fish-traps at Oyster Harbour, south-western Australia. Australian Archaeology 61: 38-43.
Trueman, C.N.G., Field, J.H., Dortch, J., Charles, B., and Wroe, S. 2005 Prolonged co-existence of humans and megafauna in Pleistocene Australia. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 102: 8381-8385.
Dortch, J. 2005 Reconstructing Aboriginal impacts on Australian forests. In M. Calver (ed.) Proceedings of the 6th National Conference of the Australian Forest History Society, pp. 527-541. Millpress, Rotterdam.
Dortch, J. 2004 Late Quaternary extinction of Black-footed Rock-wallaby (Petrogale lateralis) in south-western Australia. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology 211: 185-204.
Wroe, S., Crowther, M., Dortch, J., and Chong, J. 2004 The size of the largest marsupial and why it matters. Proceedings of the Royal Society B 271: S34-S36.
Field, J., Fullagar, R., Dortch, J., and Dutkiewicz, A. 2003 Sandstone quarries and grinding stone manufacture: survey and excavation at Yambacoona Hill in south-eastern Australia. Australian Archaeology 56: 46-47.
Turney, C.S.M., Bird, M.I., Fifield, L.K., Roberts, R.G., Smith, M., Dortch, C.E., Grun, R., Lawson, E., Ayliffe, L.K., Miller, G.H., Dortch, J. and Cresswell, R.G. 2001 Early human occupation at Devil's Lair, southwestern Australia 50,000 years ago. Quaternary Research 55: 3-13.
Dortch, C.E., and Dortch, J. 1997 Aboriginal occupation in the limestone caves and rock shelters of the Leeuwin-Naturaliste Region, Western Australia: research background and archaeological perspective. Western Australian Naturalist 21: 191-206.
Dortch, J. 1996 Late Pleistocene and recent Aboriginal occupation at Tunnel Cave and Witchcliffe Rock Shelter, Naturaliste Region, south-western Australia. Australian Aboriginal Studies 1996 (2): 51-60.
Dortch, C.E., and Dortch, J. 1996 Review of Devil’s Lair artifact classification and radiocarbon chronology. Australian Archaeology 43: 28-31.
Dortch, J. 1994 Pleistocene radiocarbon dates for hearths at Tunnel Cave, south-western Australia. Australian Archaeology 38: 45-46.

Book
Dortch, J. 2004 Palaeo-environmental change and the persistence of human occupation in south-western Australian forests. British Archaeological Reports, International Series S1288. Oxford: Archaeopress.

Roles, responsibilities and expertise

Director of Eureka Archaeological Research & Consulting
Partner investigator on "Ancient DNA from cave sediments: a new horizon in the archaeology of Aboriginal Australia", collaboration with Murdoch and Copenhagen Universities

Funding received

2011 ARC Discovery Project, with M. Bunce, J. Haile, and T. Gilbert, Ancient DNA from cave sediments: a new horizon in the archaeology of Aboriginal Australia, $156,000.
2007 Co-wrote an Australian Research Council Linkage Project, with Prof J. Balme and Prof J. Dodson as Chief Investigators, Aboriginal Landscape Transformations, ARC contribution $378,000, partner contributions ~$450,000 (UWA, ANSTO, South Coast NRM, South-West Catchments Council, WA Dept of Environment and Conservation, and Gondwanalink).
2003 University of Sydney Sesquicentenary Research and Development Fund, A new radiometric chronology for Lancefield Swamp and the extinction of Australian megafauna, $25,000.
2003 ARC Discovery Project (including Australian Postdoctoral Fellowship), Late Pleistocene faunal change and the formation of fossil deposits: a taphonomic approach, $253,000.
2002 University of Sydney Sesquicentenary Research and Development Fund, A novel geochemical approach to investigating the burial history of fossil bones: Rare Earth Element analyses, $27,500.

Industrial relevance

Have provided advice to industry partners and clients on Aboriginal heritage matters from 1992 to present, including present role at UWA.

Languages

English, French

Memberships

Australian Archaeological Association
Full Member, Australian Association of Consulting Archaeologists
Society for American Archaeology

Teaching

2010: ARCY 2227 and ARCY 7486.

Supervised Honours students:
2011: Mr Forde (2A), Mr Curry-Bowran (2B).
2009: Mr Cameron (1st class), Ms Huizen (2A), Mr Johnston (2B), Mr Seah (2A); Ms Rusack (Botany; 1st); Ms Lee (Archaeology, U. Sydney; 2A)
2008: Ms Worrell (1st)
2004: Ms Ngo (Archaeology, U. Sydney; 2A)

Current external positions

Research Associate, WA Museum
Membership Secretary, Australian Association of Consulting Archaeologists Inc.

Current projects

Study of past Noongar landscape management, through assessment of fire ecology, palaeo-ecology and fine-scale environmental, archaeological, historic and oral records.
Grinding stones and their environmental contexts in the Pilbara, Western Australia.
Ancient DNA from cave sediments: to be advised.
Review of the Lancefield megafauna site.

Research profile

Research profile and publications