معرفی
Dr Tam Smith is an Honorary Fellow at the School of Social Science, University of Queensland (UQ), affiliated with the Faculty of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences. She holds a PhD (2016) and MA (2003) from UQ, with an Honours degree (1992) in Archaeology.
Her research focuses on coastal palaeoeconomies, using molluscan analyses to explore human-environment interactions, subsistence strategies, and sustainability. She has conducted fieldwork in coastal Southeast Queensland, Zanzibar, and Sri Lanka. Key themes include resource exploitation, paleoenvironmental reconstruction, and the role of molluscs as cultural and ecological proxies.
Her recent work examines millennia-long oyster fisheries in Queensland, technological shifts in Sri Lankan coastal sites, and early human occupation of Australia’s eastern seaboard. Earlier studies include excavations at Billa Surgam caves in India and teaching methodologies in archaeological field schools.
Dr Smith has authored/co-authored over 20 publications, including journal articles, book chapters, and technical reports for heritage projects. She collaborates with organizations like the Quandamooka Yoolooburrabee Aboriginal Corporation and the Everick Foundation, emphasizing community-engaged research.
Her contributions span archaeological education, heritage management, and interdisciplinary environmental studies, with a focus on coastal resilience and Indigenous resource stewardship.
