Archaeology.
Cultural Heritage.
Responsible Mining.
We are transforming how cultural heritage is managed across Australia’s mining industry.
Video courtesy of Rio Tinto
Why we matter
Australia is home to tens of thousands of Indigenous cultural heritage sites and vast mineral resources.
Both are extraordinary national assets – but they often occupy the same ground.
When resource development intersects with cultural heritage, the stakes are high. As the global demand for critical minerals grows, so do the risks: damage to irreplaceable cultural heritage, loss of a shared understanding of Country, and costly delays to mining projects.
Cultural heritage sites form an unmatched 65,000-year record of continuous Indigenous connection to Country, while Australia’s mining industry is a cornerstone of our national economy.
The ARC Training Centre for Archaeology in the Resources Sector was created to transform the relationship between Indigenous communities and mining companies so interactions are more balanced, and Australia benefits from better understanding and protection of cultural heritage.
Vision
To strengthen Australia’s capability in responsible mining and cultural heritage management through training a highly skilled, interdisciplinary workforce that integrates Indigenous partnerships, archaeological expertise, critical thinking and social performance.
Our approach
In a world first, we bring together researchers, Traditional Owners, mining industry professionals, and cultural heritage consultants create a step change in how the mining industry engages with archaeology.
No single group can achieve sector-wide change alone. By embedding perspectives and knowledge from diverse stakeholders in our research and training programs, we collectively develop the people and practices to respond to some of the sector’s major challenges.
Training
We are developing the people who will shape the future of cultural heritage management in Australia’s resources sector.
The next generation of archaeologists
The Centre’s PhD candidates and postdoctoral researchers work with partner organisations and a national cohort of peers to drive the Centre’s research, build their skills as archaeologists, and analyse the deep structural barriers to improved cultural heritage practice.
Strengthening career pathways for Traditional Owners
Traditional Owners can gain formal accreditation as archaeologists through our world-first, co-designed training program delivered on Country. This innovative training program will recognise traditional knowledge and provide a pathway for Traditional Owners to lead heritage projects within the mining industry.
Strengthening industry capability
Mining industry personnel can undertake professional development to improve their understanding of the Indigenous and archaeological significance of cultural heritage.
Research
Our four research programs are co-designed to tackle the most pressing challenges at the intersection of cultural heritage management and mining – from new surveying technology to mine closure frameworks.
Technological adaptation and implementation
Delivering more accurate, affordable archaeological assessments
Best-practice frameworks
Safeguarding cultural heritage across a mine’s life cycle
Organisational dynamics
Embedding archaeological knowledge in operational decisions at every level
Knowledge systems and two-way learning
Improving cultural heritage outcomes through Traditional Owner knowledge
News
ARC Archaeology Training Centre to drive innovation in cultural heritage protection in the resources sector
Values
Collaboration
Cultivate respectful and meaningful partnerships between researchers, industry partners, and Traditional Owners to achieve better cultural heritage outcomes for all stakeholders.
Respect
Safeguard Indigenous rights, knowledge, and cultural heritage in the context of Australia’s critical minerals strategy and resource development.
Build Capacity
Invest in developing archaeologists with high-level skills to advance sustainable, responsible and culturally informed decision-making in the resource sector.
Integrity
Uphold and promote the highest standards of professional and ethical practice in all facets of research, Indigenous and industry engagement, and cultural heritage management.
Innovation
Advance technological and methodological innovation to enhance the quality, efficiency, and impact of archaeological research in cultural heritage management settings.
Partners
Universities
Traditional Owners
Mining Companies & Mining Advocates
Cultural Heritage Consulting Firms
