The School of Social Science wishes to advise that this event has been postponed. A new date will be provided in due course, and we apologise for the inconvenience.

Join us for The University of Queensland School of Social Science, 2026 Hall Annual Lecture. We are thrilled to be joined by our guest speaker, Professor Lesley Head from the University of Melbourne. We hope you can attend this special event.

A catalogue for the future: Australian archaeology confronts the metacrisis

For more than half a century, Australian archaeology has been making significant contributions to understanding deep time relations between people and their environment on this continent, not least through the work of Jay Hall. How can the discipline help address the current metacrisis entangling climate change, inequality, threats to democracy, and rampant AI?

This lecture explores the kinds of work archaeology can (and should not) do in creatively bringing alternative futures into being. Alternatives are hard for many contemporary Australians to see because we can’t envisage rich social and ceremonial lives that are not dependent on fossil fuels. We can’t envisage rich trade and material culture systems that are not framed by capitalism. But Australian archaeology has thousands of such moments to bring life to, particularly through its engagement with Indigenous communities and knowledges. Using examples, the lecture speculates on how these moments might constitute a catalogue for the future.

Contact the host of 2026 Hall Annual Lecture - Postponed