Val Attenbrow facts for kids
Valerie Attenbrow is a leading scientist who studies ancient human history, especially in Australia. She works at the Australian Museum as a main research scientist. She has held this important job since 1989.
Discovering the Past: Valerie Attenbrow's Journey
Valerie Attenbrow started her studies in archaeology at Sydney University. Archaeology is the study of human history and prehistory through digging up old sites and artifacts. She earned her first degree in 1976 and finished her PhD in 1987.
After her studies, she worked as an archaeologist helping different groups. She also worked for the National Parks and Wildlife Service (New South Wales). There, she helped protect important cultural heritage sites.
Uncovering Ancient Australian Life
Valerie's research mainly focuses on the Holocene period in Australia. This is the time from about 11,700 years ago until now. She studies how Aboriginal Australians lived during this period. This includes what they ate, how they used natural resources, and the tools they made from stone.
She has done a lot of fieldwork, which means going out to dig sites. Some of her key fieldwork was in Upper Mangrove Creek, near Wyong in New South Wales. She also worked in the Port Jackson area, which is around Sydney Harbour.
Awards and Recognition
Valerie Attenbrow wrote a very important book called Sydney’s Aboriginal Past. This book explores the ancient history of Aboriginal people in the Sydney area. It was first published in 2002 and then updated in 2010. For this amazing book, she won the first-ever John Mulvaney Book Award in 2004. This award is given by the Australian Archaeological Association (AAA).
Because of her great contributions to the AAA, Valerie was made a "Life Member" in 2002. This means she is a special, lifelong member of the association. In 2009, she was also chosen as a "Fellow" of the Australian Academy of the Humanities. This is a high honor for experts in the humanities.
In 2011, her colleagues at the Australian Museum created a special book of academic papers just for her. They did this because she had a huge impact on Australian archaeology. The book was called "Changing Perspectives in Australian Archaeology."
Later, in 2019, Valerie received the Rhys Jones Medal. This is the highest award given by the Australian Archaeological Association. She earned it for her outstanding and long-lasting work in archaeology in Australia.
