Dr. Shimona Kealy

Biography

Shimona Kealy is an archaeologist and palaeobiologist with a key interest in early movements of people, cultures, and animals in the Asia-Pacific islands. Her research particularly focuses on the patterns of occupation and cultures of island communities over the last 50,000 years, exploring the biological and ecological impacts of early human arrival on these islands. Shimona works with geographic information systems (GIS), palaeogeographic reconstruction, biogeographic modeling, and phylogenetic analysis to investigate the archaeological surveys and excavations in Indonesia and Timor-Leste. Her multidisciplinary projects combine archaeology with molecular and morphological phylogenetics to study potential prehistoric translocations of animals across Asia-Pacific islands. With a background in BSc and BSc (Hons) from the University of New England and University of New South Wales respectively, and a PhD from Australian National University, Shimona is engaged in building a network of collaborative research and training initiatives between Australia and Indonesia, emphasizing the disciplines of Archaeology, Palaeontology, and Biology. Additionally, she supervises research students and is involved in multiple active projects that further explore aspects of biogeography and cultural impacts in the region.

Research Interests