Zenobia Jacobs

Professor Zenobia Jacobs is a leading academic in archaeological science and geochronology at the University of Wollongong, affiliated with the School of Earth, Atmospheric and Life Sciences (SEALS) and the ARC Centre of Excellence for Australian Biodiversity and Heritage (CABAH). She holds an ARC Future Fellowship and has pioneered advancements in single-grain optical dating techniques, enabling high-resolution chronologies for human evolution studies. Her work focuses on hominin dispersals, Paleolithic innovations, and environmental interactions across Africa, Asia, and Australia.

Education: PhD (Aberystwyth University, UK), BA (Honours) and BA in Archaeology & Physical Geography (University of Stellenbosch, South Africa). Research interests include geochronology, archaeological science, and Quaternary environmental reconstruction.

Key contributions: Developed luminescence dating methods for sediments; led projects on Denisova Cave (Siberia), South African coastal sites, and Australian prehistory. Notable awards include the Sir Nicholas Shackleton Medal (INQUA), Scopus Young Researcher Award, and ARC Fellowships.

Grants & Leadership: Principal investigator for ARC-funded projects like 'Desert People: Australian Perspectives' and 'Dating Murujuga's Rock Art'. Directed the OSL dating laboratory at UOW and served as Head of School (2014-2016).

Labs/Teams: CABAH, Centre for Archaeological Science, and international collaborations on Denisovan and Neanderthal chronologies.