About
Professor Paul S.C. Tacon is a leading figure in rock art research, serving as a Professor and Chair in Rock Art Research at Griffith University’s Griffith Centre for Social and Cultural Research. He directs the Place, Evolution and Rock Art Heritage Unit (PERAHU) and is affiliated with the Australian Research Centre for Human Evolution. His work focuses on global rock art, particularly in Australia, Southeast Asia, and beyond. With over 93 months of fieldwork across 20+ countries, Tacon has made groundbreaking discoveries in Arnhem Land and Wollemi National Park. He has authored/co-authored over 315 publications, including influential books like Relating to Rock Art in the Contemporary World and Histories of Australian Rock Art Research.
Education: BA (Hons) from the University of Waterloo (1980), MA from Trent University (1984), and PhD from the Australian National University (1990).
Research Interests: Global rock art analysis, Indigenous archaeology, rock art preservation, and cultural evolution. Key areas include First Nations rock art in Australia, Southeast Asian prehistory, and the intersection of rock art with climate change and cultural heritage.
Notable Awards: Rhys Jones Medal (2016), ARC Australian Laureate Fellowship (2016–2021), and Griffith Vice-Chancellor’s Research Excellence Award (2016).
Labs/Teams: Director of PERAHU and collaborator in Griffith’s Human Evolution Centre. Supervises numerous PhD students focusing on global rock art projects. Active in grant-funded initiatives like the Art at a Crossroads project and Australian Rock Art History program.
