2 minute read
DUNEDIN
Archaeology oral history interview project off to a good start
WORDS: Adrienne Hannan IMAGES: Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga
Outreach Advisor, Rosemary Baird, is collaborating with the New Zealand Archaeological Association to begin recording and archiving oral histories with some of New Zealand’s most esteemed archaeologists.
Rosemary, who has a doctorate in oral history, became fascinated with Aotearoa New Zealand’s archaeology scene through the creation of the Aotearoa Unearthed podcast. “I love interviewing Aotearoa’s archaeologists about their diverse and fascinating work, and this project has grown out of the podcast,” she says. As part of her partnership with the NZAA (New Zealand Archaeological Association) Rosemary found there were almost no oral histories of the founders of the modern archaeology profession in New Zealand. “I always enjoy the personal perspective and the chance to record a full life history. When the NZAA and Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga supported me to conduct an oral history with Dr Jill Hamel, I jumped at the chance.” Rosemary interviewed Dr Jill Hamel in Dunedin in early 2022. Jill was the first contract archaeologist in Otago and has an incredibly deep knowledge of the region’s landscape and archaeology. “Jill was an amazing interviewee – so honest and reflective, with a dry sense of humour,” Rosemary says. “Over several sessions we had the time to capture her memories of archaeology, as well as other topics: her rural childhood, experiences as a student at Otago university, her interest in ornithology and environmental activism work.”
And as for Jill, she found the experience interesting: “Though it initially seemed to
Dr Jill Hamel
me in a sense trivial. I realised afterwards it was quite revealing,” says Jill. “I found I was having to think about things in a different way.” Katharine Watson, former president of the NZAA and a member of the Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga Board, is supportive of the project. “This is an exciting opportunity to capture the life story of someone who’s been a key figure in the development of archaeological consultancy in Aotearoa New Zealand, and we’re looking forward to expanding this project to include other prominent archaeologists. Reading the transcript of Jill’s interview was an absolute delight – she was so generous in the information she shared, and the stories are fascinating.” The hope is that, with time allowing, the project will continue with further oral history interviews with New Zealand archaeologists. “We have a lengthy list of people we would like to interview, but at the moment we will take it one step at a time,” says Rosemary. In the meantime, Jill’s interview is archived in the Hocken Library, and is available for the public to listen to, with a transcript available to read. n
