Stuart Bedford

Dr Stuart Bedford is a Research Fellow at the School of Culture, History and Language, Australian National University, and an Associate with the Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History. His 25-year archaeological research in Vanuatu spans from the initial Lapita settlement to the historic period, focusing on drivers of cultural and environmental transformation.

• Affiliations: Australian National University (Fellow), Max Planck Institute (Associate)
• Research Themes: Lapita exploration, cultural diversification in island contexts, human-environment interactions, natural hazard impacts, Polynesian outliers, and post-Lapita societal changes.

His publications highlight interdisciplinary trends in Pacific archaeology, including Lapita chronology, population genetics, dental calculus analysis, and ceremonial architecture. Key subfields include Remote Oceania colonization, Polynesian-Melanesian interactions, and prehistoric agricultural development.

• Scientific Awards:
  • Vanuatu Service Medal (2011)
• Advising:
  • PhD/Master’s students: Francois-Xavier Faucounau, Annie Kwai, Alpheaus Graham, Zobule Anna Naupa