Jim Allen (archaeologist)
Encyclopedia
Professor Jim Allen is a prominent Australian archaeologist
who has specialized in the archaeology of the South Pacific
. In 1966 Jim Allen undertook the first professional excavation of a European site in Australia, the 1840s military settlement of Victoria, which was established at Port Essington
, the northernmost part of the Northern Territory
. He published extensively on the Lapita
project, which aimed to trace expansion of Polynesian
settlement through the distinctive pottery style.
He taught in the department of Prehistory at the Australian National University
before becoming the foundation Chair of Archaeology at La Trobe University
appointed to the Chair in 1985 and has recently held the position of Australian Research Council
Senior Research Fellow at La Trobe. In the 1990s he played a prominent role in the debate over the forced repatriation of Aboriginal remains.
Australian archaeology
Australian Archaeology is a large sub-field in the discipline of Archaeology. Archaeology in Australia takes three main forms, Aboriginal Archaeology , Historical Archaeology and Maritime Archaeology...
who has specialized in the archaeology of the South Pacific
Oceania
Oceania is a region centered on the islands of the tropical Pacific Ocean. Conceptions of what constitutes Oceania range from the coral atolls and volcanic islands of the South Pacific to the entire insular region between Asia and the Americas, including Australasia and the Malay Archipelago...
. In 1966 Jim Allen undertook the first professional excavation of a European site in Australia, the 1840s military settlement of Victoria, which was established at Port Essington
Port Essington
Port Essington is an inlet and historic site located on the Cobourg Peninsula in the Garig Gunak Barlu National Park in Australia's Northern Territory...
, the northernmost part of the Northern Territory
Northern Territory
The Northern Territory is a federal territory of Australia, occupying much of the centre of the mainland continent, as well as the central northern regions...
. He published extensively on the Lapita
Lapita
Lapita is a term applied to an ancient Pacific Ocean archaeological culture which is believed by many archaeologists to be the common ancestor of several cultures in Polynesia, Micronesia, and some coastal areas of Melanesia...
project, which aimed to trace expansion of Polynesian
Polynesians
The Polynesian peoples is a grouping of various ethnic groups that speak Polynesian languages, a branch of the Oceanic languages within the Austronesian languages, and inhabit Polynesia. They number approximately 1,500,000 people...
settlement through the distinctive pottery style.
He taught in the department of Prehistory at the Australian National University
Australian National University
The Australian National University is a teaching and research university located in the Australian capital, Canberra.As of 2009, the ANU employs 3,945 administrative staff who teach approximately 10,000 undergraduates, and 7,500 postgraduate students...
before becoming the foundation Chair of Archaeology at La Trobe University
La Trobe University
La Trobe University is a multi-campus university in Victoria, Australia. It was established in 1964 by an Act of Parliament to become the third oldest university in the state of Victoria. The main campus of La Trobe is located in the Melbourne suburb of Bundoora; two other major campuses are...
appointed to the Chair in 1985 and has recently held the position of Australian Research Council
Australian Research Council
The Australian Research Council is the Australian Government’s main agency for allocating research funding to academics and researchers in Australian universities. Its mission is to advance Australia’s capacity to undertake research that brings economic, social and cultural benefit to the...
Senior Research Fellow at La Trobe. In the 1990s he played a prominent role in the debate over the forced repatriation of Aboriginal remains.