Mirani Litster

Mirani Litster is a Lecturer in Archaeology at Flinders University, affiliated with the College of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences. She holds a PhD from the Australian National University and has previously taught at James Cook University and the University of Canberra. Her research spans island and coastal archaeology, early globalisation, and intercultural encounters, with regional focus on Australia, the Indian Ocean, and the Pacific.

• PhD in Archaeology and Natural History, Australian National University, 2016
• Bachelor of Archaeology (Honours), Flinders University, 2006

Her research interests include archaeomalacology, Indigenous archaeology, heritage studies, and material culture analysis, particularly molluscan remains and glass beads. She specialises in sites across Wallacea, Australia, and the Maldives, with notable work at Laili Cave and Madjedbebe. Her technical expertise contributes to understanding prehistoric exchange systems and early human adaptations.

Her recent publications and editorial leadership reflect a strong engagement with contemporary archaeological discourse. As Editor-in-Chief of Australian Archaeology, she shapes the field’s scholarly output. Her writings, such as on First Nations astronomical knowledge, highlight interdisciplinary trends bridging archaeology, anthropology, and Indigenous studies.

• ARC Discovery Project: Before Cook: Contact, Negotiation and the Archaeology of the Tiwi Islands (CI, 2020–2026)
• Co-editor, The Archaeology of Portable Art (2018)
• Co-editor, Archaeological Perspectives on Conflict and Warfare in Australia and the Pacific (2022)

• Asia-Pacific Innovation Award, ANU (2017)
• Ulm-Ross Prize for Best Paper in Australian Archaeology (2015)
• University Medal, Flinders University (2006)
• Cairns Institute Funding (2022)

Mirani advises on research projects and collaborates with Indigenous communities and international institutions such as the Wereldcultures Museum (Leiden), Anima Mundi (Vatican), and Musée du quai Branly (Paris). She is actively involved in public scholarship, media engagement, and editorial work, contributing to broader understanding of archaeological and Indigenous knowledge systems. She leads key subjects including Archaeology of the First Australians and Cultural Heritage and the Law, and serves on editorial boards for Australian Archaeology, Journal of the Anthropological Society of South Australia, and Frontiers in Environmental Archaeology.