Centre for Archaeological Science

CAS

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Dr Maxime "Max" Aubert

ARC APD Fellow

Room: 41.266

Phone No: +61 2 422 5946
Email: maubert@uow.edu.au

Professional Profile

Qualifications: BA, (archaeology and anthropology), MSc (geochemistry), PhD (uranium-series geochemistry)
Awards: Australian Research Council APD Fellowship (2011–2013); Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada Doctoral Scholarship
Previous Appointment: Research School of Earth Sciences, Australian National University (Post Doctoral Research Fellow)

Key Research Interests

Development and application of dating methods and micro-analytical techniques
Rock art dating
The timing of human evolution and migration
Megafaunal extinction
Landscape dynamics and environmental change

Rock art dating

Rock art is of unique heritage value and its accurate dating is amongst the most challenging areas of geochronology and archaeology. I am one of the few specialists in the world working on the development and application of cutting-edge rock art dating methods, such as high-resolution uranium-series. The accurate dating of these features provides the archaeological and environmental sciences with new opportunities to investigate the interactions between rock art, material culture, human evolution, migration and environmental changes. It also provides a framework for its sustainable management and conservation. I am currently embarking on a rock art dating program in the Kimberley region of Western Australia.

Representative publications

Aubert, M., O’Connor, S., McCulloch, M.T., Mortimer, G. & Richer-LaFlèche, M. (2007). Uranium-series dating rock art in East Timor. Journal of Archaeological Science 34, 991-996.
Taçon, P.S.C., Aubert, M., Gang, L., Decong, Y., Hong, L., May, S.K., Fallon, S., Xueping, J., Curnoe, D. & Herries, A.I.R. under review. First uranium-series minimum and maximum age estimates for rock art in China. Journal of Archaeological Science.

Direct dating of fossil bones and teeth

Until recently, hominid and faunal fossils could only be directly dated by radiocarbon, limiting the range to approximately 40,000 years. As a consequence, older fossils could not be dated and many important questions in our understanding of human evolution and faunal extinction could not be addressed. I am involved in the development and application of open system uranium-series dating of fossil bones and teeth and I collaborate on a number of national and international projects investigating key issues in human evolution and faunal extinction.

Representative publications

Cosgrove, R., Field, J., Garvey, J., Brenner-Coltrain, J., Goede, A., Charles, B., Wroe, S., Pike-Tay, A., Grün, R., Aubert, M., Lees, W. & O'Connell, J. (2010). Overdone overkill - The archaeological perspective on Tasmanian megafaunal extinctions. Journal of Archaeological Science 37, 2486-2503.
Grün, R., Aubert, M., Joannes-Boyau, R. & Moncel, M.-H. (2008). High resolution analysis of uranium and thorium concentration as well as U-series isotope distributions in a Neanderthal tooth from Payre using laser ablation ICPMS. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta 72, 5278–5290.
Grün, R., Aubert, M., Hellstrom J. & Duval, M. (2010). The challenge of direct dating old human fossils. Quaternary International 234, 87-93.
Grün, R., Eggins, S., Aubert, M., Spooner, N., Pike, A. & Muller, W. (2010). ESR and U-series analysis of faunal material from Cuddie Springs, NSW, Australia: implications for the timing of the extinction of the Australian megafauna. Quaternary Science Reviews 29: 596-610.
Mijares, A.S., Détroit, F., Piper, P., Bellwood, P., Grün, R., Aubert, M., Cuevas, N., De Leon, A. & Dizon, E. (2010). New evidence for a 67,000 year old human presence at Callao Cave, Luzon, Philippines: Implications for early human dispersal into Island Southeast Asia. Journal of Human Evolution 59, 123-132.
Porat, N., Chazan, M., Grün, R., Aubert, M., Eisenmann, V. & Horwitz, L.K. (2010). New Radiometric Ages for the Fauresmith Industry from Kathu Pan, Southern Africa: Implications for the Earlier to Middle Stone Age Transition. Journal of Archaeological Science 37, 269-283.

Research Projects

My research focuses on the development and application of dating methods and micro-analytical techniques to key questions in archaeological sciences, such as rock art dating, the timing of human evolution and migration. Quaternary research, such as megafaunal extinction, landscape dynamics and climate change, is also a primary interest.