Paul Taçon Explained

Paul S.C. Taçon (born 1958) is an anthropologist and archaeologist based in Australia. He has conducted field work in Australia, Botswana, Cambodia, Canada, China, India, Malaysia, Myanmar, Thailand, South Africa and the United States. In 2011, he was appointed the first chair in Rock Art research^[1] at Griffith University on the Gold Coast, Australia. Taçon has made several key archaeological discoveries in Australia, most notably in western Arnhem Land (NT) and Wollemi National Park (NSW). These include the earliest rock art evidence of warfare in the world,^[2] the origins of the Rainbow Serpent,^{[3] [4]} significant new Arnhem Land rock art sites,^{[5] [6] [7]} rock art discoveries in Wollemi National Park ^{[8] [9] [10] [11]} and the oldest rock paintings of Southeast Asian watercraft in Australia.^{[12] [13]}

Early life and education

Taçon earned a BA (Honours) at the University of Waterloo in Ontario, Canada, in 1980, followed by an MA in Anthropology from Trent University in Peterborough, Ontario, in 1984. In 1990 he was awarded a PhD from the Australian National University in Canberra, after a spell as professor at Trent University from 1989 to 1990.^[14]

Career

He was based at the Australian Museum in Sydney from 1991 to 2005, acting as a principal research scientist in anthropology from 1999 to 2005^[14] and Head of the Museum's People and Place Research Centre from 1995 to 2003.^[15]

In 2005, Taçon joined Griffith University as Professor of Archaeology & Anthropology, taking the chair in Rock Art Research in 2011, a position he still holds .^{[14] [16]} From 2008^[14] he led two research programs at Griffith, "Picturing Change" and "Late Pleistocene Peopling of East Asia".^[17]

He has pioneered the use of radiocarbon dating of beeswax rock art,^[18] and his research team was the first to use uranium-series direct dates for rock art in China.^[19]

Taçon established and became the Director of the Place, Evolution and Rock Art Heritage Unit (PERAHU) at Griffith University.^{[14] [16]} This research unit is located within the School of Humanities, and advocates multidisciplinary, multicultural and scientific approaches to rock art and cultural evolution research.

From 2012 he was funded by the Australian Research Council as chief investigator on "The peopling of East Asia and Australia", and by the Northern Territory Government to lead the project "History places: Wellington Range rock art".^[14] The latter led to the publication of a study which documents rock art of great significance known as the Maliwawa figures, published in Australian Archaeology in September 2020.^[20] The art includes 572 images across 87 sites in northwest Arnhem Land, from Awunbarna (Mount Borradaile) across to the Wellington Range. They are estimated to have been drawn between 6,000 and 9,400 years ago.^[21] The find is described as very rare, not only in style, but in their depiction of bilbies (not known historically in Arnhem Land)^[22] and the first known depiction of a dugong.^[23]

his research is focused on improving the placement of Australian archaeology and history of European contact in a regional context, in Southeast Asia. He involves Indigenous peoples (including Indigenous Australians) in his archaeological research, and is himself involved in collaborative research on human evolution research.^[14] He has close collaborations with the Rock Art Research Centre at the Australian National University and the Centre for Rock-Art Studies at the University of Western Australia.

Other work

"Protect Australia's Spirit" campaign

He launched the "Protect Australia's Spirit" campaign^{[24] [25]} in May 2011 with actor Jack Thompson.^{[26] [27]} This campaign aims to create a fully resourced national archive to bring together information about rock art sites and a strategy for future rock art management and conservation,^[28] as well as raising general awareness about Australian rock art.^[14]

Selected publications

Taçon has published over 200 academic and popular papers on a wide range of topics, including body art, cultural evolution, Indigenous issues and cultural identity.^[14]

• 1989. Taçon, P.S.C. Art and the essence of being: symbolic and economic aspects of fish among the peoples of western Arnhem Land, Australia. In H. Morphy ed., Animals into art, pp. 236–50. London: Unwin Hyman.
• 1991. Taçon, P.S.C. The power of stone: symbolic aspects of stone use and tool development in western Arnhem Land, Australia. Antiquity 65(247):192-207.
• 1994. Taçon, P.S.C. Socializing landscapes: the long term implications of signs, symbols and marks on the land. Archaeology in Oceania 29(3):117-29.
• 1994. Taçon, Paul S.C. and C. Chippindale. Australia's ancient warriors: changing depictions of fighting in the rock art of Arnhem Land, N.T. (with comments from 10 leading authorities and reply). Cambridge Archaeological Journal 4(2):211-48. doi 10.1017/S0959774300001086
• Book: Chippindale . Christopher . Taçon . P.S.C.. The Archaeology of Rock-Art . Cambridge University Press . New Directions in Archaeology Series . 1998 . 978-0-521-57619-2 .
• 2002. Taçon, P.S.C., Pardoe, C. Dogs Make Us Human. Nature Australia, Vol. 27(4), Australian Museum pp. 52–61
• 2011. Taçon, P.S.C. Special places and images on rock; 50,000 years of Indigenous engagement with Australian landscapes. In J. Anderson (ed.), Cambridge companion to Australian art, pp. 11–21. Cambridge University Press, Melbourne.
• 2012. Taçon, P.S.C., June Ross, Alistair Paterson, and Sally May. Picturing change and changing pictures: Contact period rock art in Australia. In J. McDonald and P. Veth, eds., A Companion to rock art. Oxford: Wiley-Blackwell, 2012.
• Mid-Holocene age obtained for nested diamond pattern petroglyph in the Billasurgam Cave complex, Kurnool District, southern India . University of Wollongong . April 2013. Journal of Archaeological Science . 40. 4. 1787–1796. 10.1016/j.jas.2012.12.006. Tacon, Paul . Boivin, Nicole . Petraglia, Michael D. 2.
• A scientific study of a new cupule site in Jabiluka, Western Arnhem Land. University of Queensland . January 2014. Rock Art Research . 31. 1. 92–100. Wright. Duncan . May. Sally . Tacon. Paul . Stephenson. Birgitta.
• Book: Brady . L.M. . Taçon . P.S.C. . Relating to Rock Art in the Contemporary World: Navigating Symbolism, Meaning, and Significance . University Press of Colorado . 2016 . 978-1-60732-497-3 .

Awards and academic distinctions

• 1997 – Premier's Public Sector Awards, Significant Improvement to Delivery, New South Wales Government (Premier's Office)
• 2002 – Kimberley Aboriginal Community award for contribution to knowledge of Aboriginal Australian culture
• 2008 – Honorary Professor, Yunnan Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology, Kunming, China
• 2009 – Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries of London
• 2010 – Fellow of the Australian Academy of the Humanities^[29]
• 2016 – Australian Laureate Fellowship, a professorial research fellowship awarded by the Australian Research Council^[30]

Notes and References

1. Web site: Protect Australia's Spirit . Griffith University . 31 May 2011 . 16 December 2011 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20120117223527/http://www.griffith.edu.au/humanities-languages/school-humanities/research/protect-australias-spirit . 17 January 2012 .
2. Paul Taçona1 and Christopher Chippindalea2 . Cambridge Journals Online - Abstract . Cambridge Archaeological Journal. 4. 2. 211–248. 10.1017/S0959774300001086 . Journals.cambridge.org . 22 December 2008 . 162983574 .
3. Book: Birth of the Rainbow Serpent in ... - Paul Stephen Charles Tacon, Christopher Chippindale, Meredith Wilson - Google Books . 12 September 2000 . 16 December 2011. Taçon . Paul Stephen Charles . Chippindale . Christopher . Wilson . Meredith D. .
4. Web site: Rainbow Serpent and the Dreamtime . Aboriginal Art Online . 16 December 2011 . https://web.archive.org/web/20101112040032/http://www.aboriginalartonline.com/culture/rainbow.php . 12 November 2010 . dead .
5. News: Rocks of ages: millenniums in pictures . Sydney Morning Herald. 20 September 2008. 16 December 2011.
6. May . Sally . Ancient bird stencils discovered in Arnhem Land, Northern Territory, Australia (Sally May) . Antiquity . January 2010 . 84 . 324 . 416–427 . Anu.academia.edu . 10.1017/S0003598X00066679 . 10072/36700 . 16 December 2011. free .
7. Web site: Traci . Watson . Cache of Aboriginal Art Revealed in Djulirri Rock Shelter in Australia . https://archive.today/20120720160633/http://www.aolnews.com/2010/05/29/louvre-on-the-rocks-cache-of-aborignal-art-revealed/ . dead . 20 July 2012 . Aolnews.com . 29 May 2010 . 16 December 2011 .
8. News: Wollemi find an Aboriginal seat of the gods . Sydney Morning Herald. 20 April 2007 . 16 December 2011.
9. News: Songlines across the Wollemi . Sydney Morning Herald. 27 September 2003. 16 December 2011.
10. Web site: Catalyst: Wollemi Rock Art . ABC TV Science . Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 16 October 2003 . 16 December 2011.
11. Web site: Timeline of recent rock art discoveries in Wollemi . Diamondspirit.net . 16 December 2011.
12. Web site: Australia's oldest painting prompts history rethink. Australian Broadcasting Corporation) . ABC News . 17 July 2010 . 16 December 2011.
13. Web site: Australia's oldest painting prompts history rethink . AustraliaNews.com.au . 17 July 2010 . 16 December 2011 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20120606070334/http://www.australianews.com.au/story?cityid=d1de82e1-fce9-4f45-9541-79d83e888155&storyid=332f830c-893d-4fa1-a29d-46dd9ce663f8 . 6 June 2012 . dmy-all .
14. Web site: Paul S.C.Taçon . The Conversation . 31 August 2020 . 4 October 2020.
15. Web site: History of the Anthropology Department . The Australian Museum . 4 October 2020.
16. Web site: Professor Paul Tacon: Bio. Griffith University . 4 October 2020.
17. Web site: Professor Paul Taçon . Griffith University . 16 December 2011 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20120328100713/http://www.griffith.edu.au/humanities-languages/school-humanities/staff/professor-paul-tacon . 28 March 2012 . mdy-all .
18. Web site: Dating Australian Rock-Markings: An Interdisciplinary Challenge . Mc2.vicnet.net.au . 16 December 2011 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20120407025215/http://mc2.vicnet.net.au/home/date/web/tuniz.html . 7 April 2012 . mdy-all .
19. Aubert . Maxime . Uranium-series age estimates for rock art in southwest China (Maxime Aubert) . Academia.edu . Journal of Archaeological Science . 39 . 2 . 492–499 . 16 December 2011.
20. Taçon . Paul S. C. . May . Sally K. . Lamilami . Ronald . McKeague . Fiona . Johnston . Iain G. . Jalandoni . Andrea . Wesley . Daryl . Sanz . Ines Domingo . Brady . Liam M. . Wright . Duncan . Goldhahn . Joakim. 2 . Maliwawa figures—a previously undescribed Arnhem L and rock art style . Australian Archaeology . Informa UK Limited. Taylor & Francis Online . 30 September 2020 . 86 . 3 . 0312-2417 . 10.1080/03122417.2020.1818361 . 208–225. free .
21. Web site: A missing part of the rock art gallery. Amelia. Nichele . Cosmos Magazine . 1 October 2020 .
22. Web site: Maliwawa Figures: Ancient Aboriginal art 'unlike anything seen before' . BBC News. Taçon . Paul S. C.. 2 October 2020 . video . Videography by Isabelle Rodd. 3 October 2020.
23. Web site: Weule . Genelle . 'Bilbies', thylacines and dugongs among stunning Maliwawa rock art documented in Arnhem Land. ABC News. ABC Science. Australian Broadcasting Corporation . 1 October 2020 . 3 October 2020.
24. https://web.archive.org/web/20110803215633/http://www.protectaustraliasspirit.com.au/viewPage/index.cfm?pageId=1 Protect Australia’s Spirit
25. Web site: Protect Australia's Spirit - Griffith University . Griffith.edu.au . 31 May 2011 . 16 December 2011 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20120117223527/http://www.griffith.edu.au/humanities-languages/school-humanities/research/protect-australias-spirit . 17 January 2012 . mdy-all .
26. News: Jack Thompson acts to preserve rock art . Leigh . Dayton . 31 May 2011 . The Australian.
27. Web site: Foster . Margot . Protect Australia's Spirit - a campaign to save our rock art - 31/05/2011 . Abc.net.au . 31 May 2011 . 16 December 2011.
28. Web site: Campaign for Aboriginal rock art database . The World Today . Australian Broadcasting Corporation (Radio National) . 2 October 1980 . 16 December 2011.
29. Web site: Fellow Profile: Paul Tacon . 2024-07-08 . Australian Academy of the Humanities . en-AU.
30. News: ARC Laureate Fellowship honours rock art expert . . 6 May 2016 . 21 January 2018 . Marshall . Deborah .