Biographical note

Texas graduated from James Cook University in 2013 with a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Archaeology. His honours thesis developed methods of foraminiferal analysis to refine knowledge of site formation processes using the Kaiadilt archaeological shell midden site of Thundiy, Bentinck Island, southern Gulf of Carpentaria, as a case study. Texas’ current PhD research utilises unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and photogrammetry to investigate Kaiadilt Aboriginal stone-walled intertidal fishtraps surrounding the coasts of Bentinck Island and Sweers Island in the southern Gulf of Carpentaria.

Research topic

Engineered land and seascapes: Using UAVs and photogrammetry to investigate Kaiadilt Aboriginal stone-walled intertidal fish traps in the South Wellesley Islands, Gulf of Carpentaria

Research outline

Stone-walled intertidal fish traps are the largest structures built by Indigenous Australians and are prevalent in intertidal zones along the Australian coastline. However, these sites are poorly understood owing to issues in identification, site access and recording techniques. This study uses photogrammetry collected by aerial survey techniques and spatial analysis to investigate the form and functionality of fish traps by developing a methodology for accurately recording these structures. This project investigates the socio-cultural implications of constructing fish traps into the environment and how Kaiadilt people use these structures to engineer, manage, ritualise and conceptualise their land and seascapes.

Research questions

• Are unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) and photogrammetry aerial survey techniques a viable alternative to traditional methods of capturing data and surveying stone-walled intertidal fish trap sites?
• What can stone-walled intertidal fish traps tell us about how Kaiadilt people engineer, manage, ritualise and conceptualise their land and seascapes?
• Were Kaiadilt stone-walled intertidal fish traps developed as a specialised subsistence strategy to manage the risk of resource stress?
• What are the socio-cultural implications of constructing fish traps into the environment and how can expanding our knowledge of Kaiadilt socio-cultural and subsistence behaviour contribute to our understanding of broader implications of late Holocene Aboriginal culture change and offshore island use?

Supervisory Team

Professor Sean Ulm | Deputy Director, ARC Centre of Excellence for Australian Biodiversity and Heritage | College of Arts, Society and Education | The Cairns Institute | James Cook University

Dr Daniel Rosendahl | Executive Officer, Willandra Lakes Region World Heritage Area | Adjunct Research Fellow | James Cook University

Jason Scriffignano | Director, Dynamic Spatial Solutions | Adjunct Research Fellow | James Cook University

Research Outputs

This project aims to employ innovative aerial survey techniques and high-resolution photogrammetry to accurately evaluate the location, extent, form and function of stone-walled intertidal fish trap site complexes in the South Wellesley Islands by developing a standardised methodology for accurately recording fish trap sites. This research project will investigate the socio-cultural implications of constructing fish traps into the environment and how Kaiadilt people use these structures to engineer, manage, ritualise and conceptualise their land and seascapes. The key contribution of this research will aim to expand our knowledge of Kaiadilt late Holocene settlement and subsistence behaviour contributing to our understanding of broader implications of late Holocene Aboriginal culture change and offshore island use.

Research Grants

Australian Institute of Nuclear Science and Engineering (AINSE) Research Award – $5,175 awarded for archaeology Honours research

Conference papers

Kreij, A., Nagel, T., Scriffignano, J., Boland, M., Rosendahl, D., & Ulm, S. (2015, December). High resolution UAV photogrammetry of Indigenous stone-walled tidal fishtraps in Northern Australia. Paper presented to the Australian Archaeological Annual Conference, Fremantle, Western Australia.

Kreij, A., Ulm, S., Scriffignano, J., Boland, M., Rosendahl, D., & Nagel, T. (2016, december). UAS approaches to documenting Kaiadilt stone-walled intertidal fishtraps, Gulf of Carpentaria. Paper presented to Australian Archaeological Association Annual Conference, Terrigal.

Nagel, T., Kreij, A.,  Scriffignano, J., Hacker, J., Rosendahl, D., & and Ulm, S. (2017, December). Sensors in the sky: Airborne close-range remote sensing techniques for recording Kaiadilt stone-walled intertidal fish traps in the South Wellesley Islands, southern Gulf of Carpentaria. Paper to Australian Archaeological Association Annual Conference, Melbourne.

Nagel, T., Rosendahl, D., Hua, Q., & Ulm, S. (2014, November-December). Understanding the tests of time: Using foraminifera to refine knowledge of archaeological site formation processes. Paper presented to Culture, Climate, Change: Archaeology in the Tropics. Joint Australian Archaeological Association/Australasian Society for Historical Archaeology Annual Conference, Cairns. [Awarded Waikato Radiocarbon Dating Prize].

Publications

Nagel, T., Rosendahl, D., Hua, Q., Moss, P., Sloss, C., Petchey, F., & Ulm, S. (2016). Extended residence times for foraminifera in a marine influenced terrestrial archaeological deposit and implications for palaeoenvironmental reconstruction. Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports, 5, 25-34. doi:10.1016/j.jasrep.2015.11.008

Teaching Experience

(2013-2015) Casual teaching position tutoring Indigenous university students at James Cook University, Cairns with the School of Indigenous Australian Studies (SIAS).