Mike Morwood
| Professor Mike Morwood | |
|---|---|
| Native name | Michael John Morwood |
| Born | 27 October 1950 |
| Died | 23 July 2013 (aged 62) |
| Alma mater | University of Auckland |
| Known for | Homo floresiensis "hobbit" discovery |
Professor Michael John "Mike" Morwood (27 October 1950 – 23 July 2013) was an New Zealand archaeologist best known for discovering Homo floresiensis. In 2012, he received the Rhys Jones Medal by the Australian Archaeological Association.
Morwood was born in Auckland and grew up in New Zealand. He was awarded his Bachelor of Arts in Archaeology at the University of Auckland, New Zealand, in 1973, receiving his Masters in the following year. In 1972 the Auckland University Department of Anthropology awarded him the Anthropology Prize for academic excellence. He commenced further graduate studies in 1976 at the Australian National University. He was awarded his PhD in 1980. His dissertation was titled "Art and stone: towards a prehistory of central-western Queensland" (Mike Morwood 2010).
The majority of Morwood's research was undertaken while he was a member of staff at the University of New England, Armidale. His final post was as Professor at the School of Earth and Environmental Studies, University of Wollongong.
Morwood began his career employed as Regional Archaeologist by the Queensland State Archaeology Branch of the Department of Aboriginal and Islander Affairs (DAIA) between 1974 and 1976. After receiving his doctorate he returned to the DAIA in Queensland as a Field and Research Archaeologist.
In 1981 he began lecturing at the University of New England. As a part of the School of Human Environmental Studies, Morwood lectured in: Australian Archaeology, Southeast Asian and Pacific Archaeology, Rock Art, Archaeological Field Methods, and Archaeological Lab Methods.
It was during this time he discovered Homo floresiensis, a hominin species that "…prompted reassessment of fundamental tenets in palaeoanthropology ... concerning the peripheral role of Asia in early hominin evolution" (Morwood 2011). He initially joined a project by a group of Dutch and Indonesian researchers led by Paul Sondaar (1934-2003), who followed up on discoveries in the 1950s and 60s by Theodor Verhoeven (1907-1990) on ancient human occupation in Wallacea. Despite bitter complaints by the Dutch scientists, Morwood took over the project. In 2003 the excavation team discovered what was to be named a new species, Homo floresiensis in the limestone cave of Liang Bua (first excavated by Verhoeven), on the Indonesian island of Flores. Morwood also produced important work on rock art, most notably his book, Visions of the Past:The archaeology of Australian Aboriginal art. His approach here was to integrate excavated and rock art evidence to produce a rounded interpretation of the past.
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