A History Worth Protecting.
Creating conversations to ensure the future of Australian First Nations artefacts and fossils.
What would you do if you ever found a fossil, or an Indigenous artefact?
While this isn’t a question you’ve likely thought much about, it is one that is vital to ensure the protection of Australia’s natural and cultural heritage.
Fossils and artefacts are clearly different in their formation and significance, but both can be found across the Australian landscape, and there are different protections in place for each. Here at Found a Fossil, we want to provide easy to understand information and resources to people so Australia’s incredible heritage material can be celebrated and protected for future generations.
Laws for Indigenous Finds
Guidelines for Heritage Finds
Laws for Fossil Finds
Our Project Goals
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1
To understand what the public, from every First Nations community, farmer, bushwalker, beachgoer, and beyond, thinks about artefacts, fossils, and their protection.
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2
To provide accessible and easy to understand information that helps to improve the communication of legislation and heritage information to the public.
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3
To create conversations about Australian heritage, how we can better protect it, and encourage appreciation of heritage material, and the incredible stories it can tell.
Read the Research
To help achieve our first goal of understanding what people think about fossils and artefacts, the Found a Fossil Project did a survey of over 1000 members of the Australian public.
I’m the one behind the Found a Fossil Project. I have a deep love for history and science, and through this project, I am hoping to share this passion with others in the Australian community.
Hi, I’m Sally!
By connecting with communities and individuals who are finding heritage material like artefacts and fossils, I’m hoping that we can have open and honest dialogue that will ultimately lead to an appreciation of heritage, and therefore a higher level of reporting, protection, and celebration of Australia’s incredible natural and cultural heritage.
What are fossils?
Fossils are any preserved remains, impressions, or traces of anything that used to be alive in a past geological time period. Fossils may include dinosaur bones, fossils of leaves and trees, footprints, shells etc. Palaeontologists study fossils.
What are artefacts?
Archaeological artefacts are items or remains made by humans or related to human history. This can include stone tools, jewellery, items from everyday life (baskets, pots etc.), weapons etc. Archaeologists study artefacts.
Some Australian Indigenous communities may refer to these artefacts as cultural belongings or cultural objects. These artefacts are part of the living cultures and histories of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples.
Explore the Site
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Guidelines for Heritage Finds
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Get in Touch!
Want to know more about the project? Maybe you just want to talk heritage, science, or history? Or would you like me to give a talk at your school or event?
Shoot me a email using this form and I’ll let’s connect!