Caroline Spry

Dr Caroline Spry is an Adjunct Senior Research Fellow in the Department of Archaeology and History at La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia. She is lead and co-investigator of several research projects with Traditional Custodians, universities, museums, government agencies and industry partners. Her research has been funded by the Australian Government, universities, foundations and government agencies.

Caroline has investigated a variety of archaeological sites spanning the last ~40,000 years to the post-contact period in southeastern Australia, Melanesia and South Africa. Her research interests include lithic technology (refitting/conjoin analysis, and portable X-ray Fluorescence), culturally modified trees, oral history, and working with Traditional Custodians to combine traditional knowledge and archaeological methods. Caroline's PhD research compared Aboriginal people's technological responses to environmental change at Lake Mungo, Willandra Lakes Region World Heritage Area, between ~24,000-8,000 years ago

Caroline has presented at international conferences and published extensively in peer-reviewed journals and edited volumes, including The Holocene, Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports, Lithic Technology, Journal of Lithic Studies, Australian Archaeology, and Historical Records of Australian Science. She has also published articles in The Conversation.

Caroline is passionate about public outreach and science communication, and is Co-chair of National Archaeology Week in Australia. She is Advisory Editor of 'Excavations, Surveys and Heritage Management in Victoria', the peer-reviewed proceedings of the Victorian Archaeology Colloquium, held annually in the State of Victoria. Caroline is also an invited expert for the National Trust of Australia (Victoria) Register of Experts.

Caroline is a registered Heritage Advisor under the Aboriginal Heritage Act 2006 (Vic.).