Australia’s ancient agricultural systems are some of the most ancient, least studied and cryptic. Indigenous Australians are traditionally portrayed as hunter-gatherers with a nomadic lifestyle. However, a significant volume of historical evidence, including explorers’ reports, mention a wide range of food production systems that closely resemble the concept of Western agriculture, alongside housing complexes suggesting some sedentary lifestyles. However, much of this evidence lies in historical reports and paintings, which have been questioned due to their possible subjectivity. The aim of this project is to provide new empirical insights into the nature and extent of food production by Indigenous Australians. To help achieve this, we are seeking a PhD student for project involving sedimentary ancient DNA (sedaDNA) analysis of lake sediments reaching back 12,000 years from Victoria, Australia. Samples will be taken from previously obtained cores, and additional genetic data will be obtained from herbarium specimens. It is expected that a mixture of targeted and metagenomic methods will be used. There are several daisy and grass species that are recorded as important for food, and the aim will be to test for signatures of selection, translocation, and changes in relative abundance. Metagenomic analysis may also be useful in detecting landscape change that could be associated with agriculture.
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