PROFILE

Dr Ingrid Ward

Started at UWA: 2011

Interdisciplinary scientist with a passion for understanding human-landscape dynamics  

The resolution of the archaeological record is the critical limiting factor in understanding past human occupation.Dr Ingrid Ward

Dr Ingrid Ward is a geoarchaeologist and Fellow of the Australian Research Council’s Discovery Early Career Researcher Award in UWA’s School of Social Sciences. Her research focuses on understanding the sedimentary and environmental contexts in which archaeological remains are preserved at both the macro- and micro-scale, both onshore and offshore. 

Dr Ward has worked in academia, consulting and regulatory positions in the United Kingdom and Australia. She has been in the UWA community since 2011 when she secured her ARC Fellowship. Coming from an environmental geoscience background, Dr Ward moved to the field of archaeology where she was able to conduct research on shipwreck sites and rock art sites in northern Australia during her time at James Cook University and the University of Wollongong. 

The multidisciplinary nature of geoarchaeological research allows Dr Ward to learn from every new site and every new topic she explores and from the people she works with. 

Her current research is exploring the natural and cultural processes influencing archaeological site formation at both the macro- and micro-scale. This work is aimed at understanding the complexity of human-landscape dynamics and the pattern of archaeological preservation in Australia. Previous research projects include the ARC Barrow Island Archaeology Project and ARC Deep History of Sea Country.

Research disciplines: 

  • Geology 
  • Environmental science
  • Marine science

External positions:

  • Bachelor of Science (BSc), University of Newcastle
  • Master of Science (MSc), James Cook University 
  • Master of Arts (MA), James Cook University
  • Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), University of Wollongong

Teaching

Dr Ward teaches Advanced Archaeological Methods and, as an interdisciplinary scientist, aims to get students to approach each topic from multiple perspectives to give breadth to their learning. Dr Ward believes that student interaction allows for two-way learning. She teaches what she loves and, likewise, learns from her students’ alternative perspectives. 

Current research projects

Supervisor opportunities

Dr Ward has been supervising Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) candidates since 2012 in the disciplines of geoarchaeology and micromorphology. She welcomes all multidisciplinary PhD candidates, particularly those with a strong interest in the geosciences. 

Contact Dr Ingrid Ward

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Research repository

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