Zali Boyd, student on the Mornington Peninsula and PNG field schools, releases first publication with Dr Ben Shaw

Zali Boyd has had her first publication released overnight with Ben Shaw. Zali was a student on both of the Mornington Peninsula and PNG field schools led by Ben.

On the back of those field schools, Zali also went on to undertake ARCH8030/8031, a 12-unit project contextualising an assemblage of pottery collected from a burial cave in the Milne Bay Province of PNG, on Panaeati Island where the PNG field school was held. The pottery was collected in 1935 and was being held in the ANU store, having been put there by Peter Lauer some time ago. 

The Panaeati community wanted the pottery returned and it will go back the next time Ben is on the island. Ahead of repatriation the pottery was investigated by Zali. Through her analysis of the pottery and comparisons with pottery from a nearby site excavated during the field school. Zali was able to estimate the age of the pottery and by proxy the associated burials in the cave - dated to 740-490 years ago.

By contextualising the social aspects of burial and maritime networks in the region at this time she was able to suggest how and why the pottery was placed with secondary burials.

This is a really great outcome for Zali and the field school program.