Flinders University in Adelaide
Drilling, Blasting and Impacts to Cultural Heritage Sites (ICPD #1 Postdoc-level project Year 1)
Based at Flinders University, this postdoctoral research project will investigate the impacts of drilling, blasting, and associated extractive activities on cultural heritage sites within active mining landscapes. While regulatory processes require the identification and management of cultural heritage values, how high-impact industrial activities affect archaeological sites and culturally significant places remain unevenly understood.
Your research will explore processes such as ground disturbance, vibration, erosion and dust deposition and their resulting impact on site integrity over time. Through a series of collaborative case studies with industry partners, the project will generate new insights into how cultural heritage sites respond to these pressures in different contexts. It will draw on a combination of archaeological field methods, emerging recording technologies, and industry data to build a more comprehensive picture of impact.
A key aspect of the project will be engagement with Traditional Owners to better understand how impacts are perceived and valued beyond strictly physical measures. This will support a more holistic approach to heritage assessment, recognising that significance is shaped by cultural, social, and ongoing relationships to place.
Outputs will include a set of best-practice guidelines for assessing and mitigating (e.g. buffer zones) the impacts of mining activity on cultural heritage sites as well as decision-support tools for industry and regulators.
