Josephine Flood facts for kids

Josephine Mary Flood, born Josephine Scarr on July 25, 1936, is an amazing Australian archaeologist, mountaineer, and author. She was born in England but moved to Australia and became an Australian citizen.

Early Life and Education

Josephine Flood grew up in Yorkshire, England. She went to Cambridge University and studied Classics, which is the study of ancient Greek and Roman history and culture. She earned her first degree in 1959.

Later, she moved to Australia in 1963. She continued her studies at the Australian National University (ANU). There, she earned her master's degree in 1968 and her PhD in 1973. Her PhD research was about the ancient history of Aboriginal people in the Australian Alps.

Archaeology Career

Josephine Flood started her career at the Australian National University in 1963. She first taught about ancient Greek and Roman archaeology. However, she soon became very interested in Australian archaeology. She decided to focus on studying the history of Australia's Indigenous people.

Protecting Aboriginal Heritage

In 1978, Josephine joined the Australian Heritage Commission in Canberra. This organization helps protect important places in Australia. She worked there for many years, becoming an assistant director. From 1984, she led the section that focused on Aboriginal environments.

During her time at the Commission, she helped add over 2,000 Aboriginal archaeological sites to the Register of the National Estate. This register lists places that are very important to Australia's history and culture. She also helped get places like Kakadu National Park, the Tasmanian South West Wilderness Area, and the Willandra Lakes Region added to the World Heritage List. These are special places recognized around the world.

Discovering Ancient Sites

Josephine Flood made an important discovery at Cloggs Cave in Victoria. She found this cave while driving to another site. Her excavations there uncovered many ancient Aboriginal stone and bone tools. The oldest tools found at Cloggs Cave are more than 30,000 years old!

She believed that by studying how Aboriginal people lived more recently, we could better understand how they lived thousands of years ago. She thought that their "stone-age, foraging, semi-nomadic way of life" had not changed much over time.

In 1989, Josephine used the discovery of an ancient cremated skeleton at Lake Mungo to learn about life there. This helped her understand the roles of women in ancient Aboriginal society.

Awards and Recognition

Josephine Flood has received many honors for her important work. In 1991, she became a Fellow of the Australian Academy of the Humanities. This is a special group that recognizes experts in history and culture.

In 2001, she received the Centenary Medal. This award was given to her for her great contributions to Australian society and the study of prehistory and archaeology. Her book, The Original Australians, was even a finalist for the Prime Minister's Prize for Australian History in 2007.

In 2019, Josephine Flood was made a Member of the Order of Australia (AM). This is a very high honor that recognized her "significant service to archaeology, and to the study of Indigenous culture."

Mountaineering and Retirement

Besides her archaeological work, Josephine Flood is also an amazing mountaineer. When she was at Cambridge University, she was possibly the only female member of a group that practiced climbing on the university's stone buildings!

In the early 1960s, she led and joined several expeditions to climb mountains in the Himalayas. In 1961, she led the Women's Kulu Expedition. The next year, she joined the Women's Jagdula Expedition to Lha Shamma in Nepal. On these trips, she climbed six peaks that were over 20,000 feet high and had never been climbed before! She wrote a book about her adventures called Four Miles High.

Josephine retired early from her official job to spend more time on research, writing, and travel. Between 1981 and 1992, she led seven expeditions. These trips were funded by Earthwatch, an organization that supports scientific research. She excavated sites and recorded ancient rock art in places like Cape York and the Victoria River region in the Northern Territory.

Even in retirement, she has continued to help with archaeological projects. She has supported work in the Australian Alps and helped with dating the extinction of Australian megafauna (giant ancient animals). In 2015, she was elected a Member of the Emeritus Faculty of ANU, which means she is still connected to the university.