– Welcome –

We are excited to welcome you to the 14th International Council for Archaeozoology Conference, to be held at the gateway to the Great Barrier Reef, in Cairns, Queensland, Australia. This is the first time the conference will be held in Australia and we are eager to share this amazing land with conference delegates.

To pay our respects to the Traditional Owners of Australia, the cultural heritage of Indigenous Australians will play a major role in all aspects of the conference.  We will share this amazing heritage with delegates through cultural excursions focused on ancient foodways, local fauna and natural wonders. We hope you will join the ancient custodians of this land for a journey from past to present and back again.  

The major theme for the conference is ‘Oceans and Coastline – Past, Present and Future’. The location of the conference on the doorstep of the internationally renowned Great Barrier Reef provides an opportunity to consider the ecological dynamism in which ancient cultures are embedded, and how they shape and are shaped by place. The rising and falling of sea levels, the transformations of coastlines through time and the shifting array of available resources is a context that resonates well beyond the Great Barrier Reef. In various ways this context frames prehistoric narratives throughout the world, as well as directly speaking to contemporary discussions of climate change, so clearly highlighted to the world by COP26. The long-term perspective provided by archaeology permits both environmental change and cultural corollary to be viewed as long-term structures, giving archaeology the unique ability to inform upon current models and projections. This theme speaks to finding our voice in this arena and demonstrating that zooarchaeology has a very real role to play.

The conference fully supports ICAZ’s Code of Conduct and Statement of Environmental Responsibility. To this end, the conference will be plastic free, use local produce and support indigenous owned businesses.

We look forward to welcoming you!

Code of Professional Conduct

The International Council for Archaeozoology (ICAZ) strives to create a positive, collaborative and supportive environment for all zooarchaeologists in which they can develop and thrive. As an international organization, we value diversity and acknowledge the benefit that a range of backgrounds, knowledge and experiences can bring to scholarship. To harness this diversity for the benefit of all members, and to provide a welcoming environment for all, we are dedicated to providing a harassment-free community and require that all members treat each other professionally and respectfully in all forms of communication [this includes, but is not limited to, professional conferences and workshops (face-to-face and virtual), networking, fieldwork, laboratory work, advising, emailing, texting and social media engagements]. The ethical treatment of colleagues, collaborators and communities is a central pillar of ICAZ and all members are expected to uphold the values of the organization.