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Prof Rachel Popelka-Filcoff - Rock Art Australia Minderoo Chair in Archaeological Science University of Melbourne

A Chair in Archaeological Science is a unique position worldwide and provides an extraordinary opportunity to progress archaeological science in Australia and beyond. Archaeological science is fundamentally a multidisciplinary field that integrates both cultural and analytical expertise and perspectives.

Prof Rachel Popelka-Filcoff, an internationally recognised expert in radioanalytical chemistry and the scientific analysis of Indigenous Australian natural mineral pigments leads archaeological science initiatives at The University of Melbourne’s School of Geography, Earth and Atmospheric Sciences. Rachel’s research group explores provenance, sourcing and exchange of source geological materials and artifacts through analysis and statistical approaches, and the development of high-resolution, non-invasive characterisation of cultural heritage materials.

Rachel’s research is the first comprehensive integrative characterisation of Australian natural mineral pigments on cultural heritage materials. Her research develops novel multidisciplinary approaches to analyse cultural materials, artifacts, and landscapes. These integrated methods offer an extraordinary view into past cultures, understanding of current society, and insight into our future.

This Chair has been made possible thanks to donations from Rock Art Australia, Allan Myers AC QC, the Minderoo Foundation through RAA Patrons Andrew and Nicola Forrest and a contribution from the University.

Prof Chris Clarkson - Rock Art Australia Chair in Rock Art & Archaeology
Griffith University

Professor Chris Clarkson, a Fellow of the Australian Academy of the Humanities, has been appointed Professorial Chair in Rock Art and Archaeology at Griffith University. Clarkson, an internationally recognised archaeologist at the Australian Research Centre for Human Evolution (ARCHE) at Griffith University, is renowned for his landmark excavation at Madjedbebe rock shelter in Arnhem Land, in partnership with the Mirarr Traditional Owners and the Gundjeihmi Aboriginal Corporation. His findings uncovered evidence of human occupation in northern Australia dating back 65,000 years. 

Rock Art Australia has supported Prof Clarkson’s research previously including inviting him to develop a national research ‘blueprint’ to guide RAA’s rock art strategy.  

Prof Clarkson will drive world-leading research into Australia’s earliest human history, strengthen Indigenous partnerships to protect sacred rock art, and inspire a new generation of archaeologists and scientists. It will have a focus on conservation, monitoring and Indigenous co-stewardship of rock art, raising the profile and resourcing for long-term documentation.  This work aligns wholly with Rock Art Australia’s objectives. 

Dr Louise Shewan - Rock Art Australia Research Fellow
University of Melbourne

Dr Louise Shewan is an Archaeological Scientist and Rock Art Australia Research Fellow in the School of Geography, Earth and Atmospheric Sciences at The University of Melbourne. Rock Art Australia initially supported Dr Shewan’s fellowship for a two-year period and has extended this commitment for a further 5 years, from 2025 to 2030, in partnership with the University, to enable her continued leadership and research in archaeological science.
An award-winning interdisciplinary researcher with more than 15 years’ experience, Dr Shewan’s work focuses on multi-isotopic analyses of environmental samples, material culture and skeletal remains. These analyses create baseline “isoscapes” that inform provenance studies, resource acquisition behaviours and environmental change through time.
Her pioneering research extends beyond Australia to Southeast Asia, where she collaborates with local archaeologists in Laos and Vietnam to document and analyse ancient sites and rock art traditions. This work explores connections between Australian and Southeast Asian rock art, reflecting shared histories from when northern Australia, Borneo, Laos and Vietnam formed part of the same landmass known as Sunda.
Through her Australian Research Council Discovery Project ‘Megalithic Connections: Imperilled Cultural Heritage in Laos and India’ and ongoing RAA fellowship, Dr Shewan also leads innovative digital conservation projects using virtual reality, including the ‘Kimberley rock art VR program’ . Her research continues to advance collaborative efforts to protect and interpret rock art heritage in Australia and internationally.

Dr Helen Green - Rock Art Australia Research Fellow
University of Melbourne

Dr Helen Green is a Research Fellow in the School of Earth Sciences at The University of Melbourne holding Rock Art Australia’s 5-year Fellowship in Rock Art Dating from The Ian Potter Foundation. The Award was granted to RAA in October 2017 and extended to 2026 following a parental leave pause.

Helen was employed as a Post Doctorate Researcher on the Australian Research Council (ARC) Linkage Project with Rock Art Australia, focussed on dating the Aboriginal rock art of the Kimberley region (2014-2018) and is a Chief Investigator on the Rock Art Dating Project-2 (2018-2022). Helen is also an Associate Investigator on the ARC Centre of Excellence for Australian Biodiversity and Heritage (CABAH).

Helen’s research over the last five years has focused on analysing mineral accretions using a range of geochemical techniques to characterise and understand the formation processes occurring in relation to rock art pigments in north west Australia’s Kimberley region. These techniques include uranium-thorium dating, radiocarbon dating, stable isotope analysis along with analytical techniques such as X-ray diffraction analysis, scanning electron microscopy, electron microprobe analysis and others. Using this knowledge Helen is adapting both radiocarbon and uranium-series dating techniques to oxalate and phosphate bearing layered mineral accretions, with an aim of generating bracketing ages for different rock art styles comprising the established rock art sequence in the Kimberley region.

Dr Sam Harper - Rock Art Australia Kimberley Research Fellow
University of Western Australia

Dr Sam Harper is an archaeologist and rock art specialist with over 15 years of experience in archaeology and heritage management. Based at the Centre for Rock Art Research + Management at UWA, she holds the Rock Art Australia Kimberley Research Fellowship, established through Rock Art Australia’s partnership with The University of Western Australia to advance research and training in Kimberley rock art.
Her research investigates how people have expressed identity, connection, and change through rock art across Australia’s northwest. Working closely with Traditional Owners and ranger groups, she develops two-way research programs that combine archaeological science and Indigenous knowledge.
As RAA Research Fellow, Dr Harper leads interdisciplinary research in the Kimberley exploring how rock art reflects environmental change, cultural continuity, and biodiversity through time.
Her current collaborative work in the Cockburn Ranges (Balanggarra Country) focuses on style, identity, narrative and engravings, an often-overlooked form of expression in comparison with painted rock art. This research is revealing how these subtractive markings reflect intergenerational knowledge sharing, maintenance rituals, and enduring connections to Country.

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