Aspects of the historiography of Australian archaeology

This article is a historiography, or critical review of the history, of Australian archaeology. It commences with a discussion of the two major regional histories of Australian archaeology, and a survey of the literature on the removal and scientific use of human remains. This is followed by an examination of the two major approaches to the history of Australian archaeology-individual and collective biography, and the use of specific archaeological sites or broader geographical regions-then three complementary but less used historical approaches. Finally, I offer suggestions for further research in the history of Australian archaeology.