Roxanne Tsang

Roxanne Tsang is a Postdoctoral Researcher and British Academy International Fellow at the University of Oxford, specializing in anthropological archaeology with a primary focus on rock art. Her research is deeply rooted in the archaeology of Papua New Guinea, exploring material culture and cognitive archaeology to interpret past and present human behaviors through symbolic expressions such as rock art images. She employs a multidisciplinary methodology that combines Indigenous perspectives, cognitive archaeology, archaeological science, museum collections, and digital techniques to investigate the nature of mark-making and the transposition of designs across media throughout deep human history.

Her research interests encompass rock art studies, Papua New Guinea archaeology, material culture analysis, cognitive archaeology, ethnography, archaeological science, and digital archaeology. A significant portion of her work is dedicated to understanding how rock art and other symbolic expressions can illuminate human behaviors, drawing inspiration from case studies in Papua New Guinea. She is particularly interested in the communal aspects of rock art, such as hand stencils and cassowary bone dagger stencils, and how these elements contribute to the reproduction of narratives and communal history.

Analysis of Dr Tsang's recent publications reveals a consistent focus on rock art in Papua New Guinea, especially in the East Sepik region, and extending to Australian contexts like Western Arnhem Land. Her work addresses both theoretical aspects of cognitive archaeology and practical concerns such as the rapid degradation of contact period rock art. She frequently collaborates with Indigenous communities and international researchers, producing interdisciplinary studies that bridge archaeology, anthropology, and heritage conservation.

Scientific Awards:

• British Academy International Fellowship

Dr Tsang currently leads the project "The Magic of Rock Art: An Ethnoarchaeological Study of Art across Media in Papua New Guinea", which is supported by the British Academy. Her fieldwork spans Papua New Guinea and various parts of Australia, including New South Wales, far-north Queensland, and Western Arnhem Land. This extensive field experience underpins her research on the transmission of designs across different media and the long-distance exchange behaviors in prehistoric contexts. While specific details about advising students or grant funding beyond the British Academy fellowship are not provided in the source text, her collaborative projects suggest active engagement with academic teams and Indigenous knowledge holders.