From Australia to India: International Engagement from the Rock Art Australia Chair at Griffith University
In January, Professor Chris Clarkson travelled to the west Indian state of Gujarat in his new role as Rock Art Australia Chair in Rock Art & Archaeology at Griffith University, where he holds a leadership role at the new Australian Research Centre (ARC) of Excellence for Transforming Human Origins Research.
This visit marked Chris’s return to fieldwork in India after 15 years and was an important step in reconnecting with long-standing research partners across South Asia. He travelled with Professor Michael Petraglia, Director of the Centre of Excellence, to meet with colleagues and strengthen relationships within the Indian Palaeolithic research community.
A highlight of the trip was participating in the international symposium “Rethinking Deep Time: Debating Transitions, Origins, and Identities in South Asian Palaeolithic Archaeology”, held at IIT Gandhinagar from 30 January to 2 February 2026. The gathering brought together leading scholars from South Asia and around the world to share research and discuss new perspectives on early stone tool technologies and human evolution.
Chris presented a co-authored paper with Dr Antoine Muller (University of Bergen, Norway), titled “Shared Concepts or Convergent Solutions? Assessing African–Indian Levallois Connections through Prepared-Core Continua.” The research offered a 3D, quantitative and comparative approach to understanding connections between African and Indian stone tool technologies. These conversations contribute to broader discussions about how Homo sapiens spread out of Africa more than 65,000 years ago on journeys that would eventually reach Australia.
Professor Petraglia also played a key role at the symposium as a keynote speaker and panel contributor, helping to strengthen connections between Australian and Indian research priorities.
Overall, the visit reaffirmed the value of international collaboration and laid important foundations for future partnerships between Australian and Indian researchers as part of the Centre of Excellence’s growing global network.
Find out more about the Australian Research Centre of Excellence for Transforming Human Origins Research
Chris Clarkson (right) with Mr Varun Vyas Associate Researcher – Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History at the Sun Temple of Modhera in Gujarat.
Chris Clarkson presenting “Shared Concepts or Convergent Solutions? Assessing African–Indian Levallois Connections through Prepared-Core Continua,”
Professors Michael Petraglia and Chris Clarkson enjoying a street side Masala Chai
