Anna Florin is a Lecturer in Archaeological Science in the School of Archaeology and Anthropology. Previously she was a Research Fellow at St John's College, Cambridge, and the McDonald Institute for Archaeological Research, the University of Cambridge. She was awarded her PhD from the University of Queensland in 2021.

Anna’s research is focused on developing long-term perspectives on the role of plant foods, and their processing and management in world economies. As an archaeobotanist, she studies charred plant macrofossils – food scraps, from ancient fireplaces – to understand the diets of people in the past. Anna specialises in the analysis of root and tuber vegetables, a staple of Australian diets, and works closely with Traditional Owners to understand how different plant-processing practices (e.g., cooking grinding) can be seen archaeologically.

Her research in Australia, New Guinea and Island Southeast Asia has implications for key topics in global archaeology. This includes the role of plant foods in early human migrations outside Africa, ongoing cultural adaptations to climate change, and new perspectives on plant and landscape management practices in “hunter-gatherer” societies.

Listen to Anna discuss her research on ABC Radio National's The Science Show.

PhD in Archaeology

Archaeobotany; Ethnobotany; Australian archaeology; Human evolution and dispersals; Archaeological theory