Humanities and Social Sciences

Archaeology Program

Staff Directory

Dr Peter Davies

Lecturer Room: Martin Building 165 Tel: (61 3) 9479 1031 Fax: (61 3) 9479 1881 Email: peter.davies@latrobe.edu.au Qualifications: BA(Hons) Melb, MA Melb, PhD La Trobe

Dr Peter Davies began his career studying the archaeology and languages of the ancient Near East, and has worked extensively on excavations in Cyprus, Turkey and Syria. His Masters thesis analysed mortuary patterning and social complexity in Early and Middle Bronze Age Cyprus. Since turning to historical archaeology, he has completed a PhD at La Trobe University on the material and social life of an early-twentieth-century forest community. This study was published as a monograph by Archaeopress in 2006, as part of the series, 'Studies in Contemporary and Historical Archaeology'.

Research Projects

Peter has undertaken several major cultural heritage assessments at Heritage Victoria, and in 2002-03 worked on the Casselden Place Archaeological Excavations as area supervisor, records manager and artefact analyst. In 2005-06 Peter was Project Manager for Stage 1 of the Bend Road Archaeological Excavations, a major consultancy conducted by the La Trobe University Archaeology Program for Eastlink/TJH. His major research interests are in historical and industrial archaeology.

An Archaeology of Institutional Confinement: the Hyde Park Barracks 1848-1886

Research Publications

Selected recent publications include:

2007

• Natives and Newcomers in the Antipodes: Historical Archaeology in Australasia and New Zealand, T. Majewski and C. Orser (eds.), International Handbook of Historical Archaeology, (with Susan Lawrence).

2006

• Mapping commodities at Casselden Place, Melbourne, International Journal of Historical Archaeology 10 (4): 343-355.
• Henry’s Mill: Historical Archaeology of a Forest Community, Studies in Contemporary and Historical Archaeology 2, Archaeopress, Oxford.

2005

• The Archaeology of Childhood: Toys from Henry’s Mill, The Artefact 28: 15-22. (with Adrienne Ellis)
  Writing slates and schooling in Victoria, Australasian Historical Archaeology 23: 63-69.
  
• Space and Structure at an Australian forest sawmill, Historical Archaeology 39 (4): 51-64. “The Children are running wild…”: Uncovering childhood at a forest sawmill settlement, in M. Calver et al. (eds) A Forest Conscienceness, Millpress, Rotterdam, pp.75-83.
  
• Gabo Island and the Whaling Industry in Far East Gippsland’, Gippsland Heritage Journal 29: 12-19.

Research Grants

In 2008 Peter will begin an ARC-Linkage project, 'An Archaeology of Institutional Confinement: the Hyde Park Barracks 1848-1886' with Professor Tim Murray. The Linkage partner is the Historic Houses Trust of New South Wales.

Professional Involvements

Peter also serves on the Executive Committee of the Australian Forest History Society.