ASHA NEWS: New Editorial team for AHA

Earlier this year, a new editorial team was assembled to take over the editorship of Australasian Historical Archaeology beginning with the 2018 issue (the 2017 issue is being guest edited by Katherine Watson). The team consists of Annie Clarke and James Flexner from the University of Sydney, and Penny Crook and Sarah Hayes from La Trobe University.

We are very excited about the opportunity to work on and develop this journal, which has been so influential in the region and historical archaeology more generally. We plan to spend 2017 assessing the status of AHA in comparison with like local and international journals — many of which are migrating to large publishing houses— ‘benchmarking’ its content, format, production, delivery, promotion, indexation and reach (citations and ‘impact’), along with other endeavours such as Early Career Researcher (ECR) mentoring. This would provide an evidence-based approach to setting the long-term direction of AHA’s future production and promotion, to ensure it continues to serve the membership and goals of the Society. We plan to prepare a ‘benchmarking’ report to deliver to the Committee in early August, well in advance of the AGM. Of course, we look forward to input and discussion from ASHA membership as AHA continues to evolve as an important forum for publication in historical archaeology in our region and beyond.

Meet the new team:

Anne (Annie) Clarke has over 35 years of experience in archaeological, heritage and museological research. Her research interests include the archaeology of Arnhem Land, the archaeology of cross-cultural engagement and colonialism, rock art and historical mark-making practices, ethnographic collections and objects, community archaeology, narrative archaeology and critical heritage. She has co-edited eight volumes on archaeology, heritage and museum studies, as well as three special journal issues. Her two most recent edited volumes are That was Then, This is Now: Contemporary Archaeology and Material Cultures in Australia (2016) with Ursula Frederick and Object Stories: artifacts and archaeologists with Steve Brown and Ursula Frederick. She is the joint author with Peter Hobbins and Ursula Frederick of Stories from the Sandstone: Quarantine Inscriptions from Australia’s Immigrant Past (2016).

Penny Crook has over 20 years’ experience in historical archaeology as a consultant and academic archaeologist. Her research interests include 19th-century material culture, assemblage analysis, consumer studies, urban archaeology and digital data management. She is currently completing a DECRA fellowship at La Trobe University although she continues to be based in Sydney. She has published several papers and monographs, including a co-authored monograph (with Peter Davies and Tim Murray) in Studies in Australasian Historical Archaeology. A long-standing member of ASHA, she has served in a number of roles including Editorial Assistant, Secretary and Vice President. She is currently Assistant Editor of Post-Medieval Archaeology and on the Editorial Advisory Board of Australian Archaeology.

James Flexner has published widely in international journals and scholarly books. His primary areas of research are historical archaeology, landscape archaeology, and the archaeology of Oceania (including the historical archaeology of Australia). He has also been a regular reviewer for refereed journals, including the International Journal of Historical Archaeology, Journal of Pacific Archaeology, and Australasian Historical Archaeology. He has just completed editing a forthcoming volume of the journal Museum Worlds, and will be editing a forum for the Journal of Contemporary Archaeology. His first book, An Archaeology of Early Christianity in Vanuatu, was published by ANU Press in 2016.

Sarah Hayes is a DECRA fellow in Archaeology at La Trobe University. Her research focus is on urban archaeology, comparative artefact analysis, class construction and social mobility. She has published a number of papers along with a monograph in the Studies in Australasian Historical Archaeology series titled Good Taste, Fashion, Luxury: A genteel Melbourne family and their rubbish. Sarah has served for a number of years as book reviews editor for Australasian Historical Archaeology, newsletter editor for the Society for Historical Archaeology and as a reviewer for a number of journals. She has also worked as a tutor at La Trobe University, as an artefact specialist in consulting archaeology and in the management of moveable heritage in the museum and cultural heritage contexts.