I study human skeletal remains from archaeological sites. As a bioarchaeologist I am interested in how oral health and disease, specific and nonspecific indicators of stress, pathology and behaviour play into our understanding of the general health, social identities and lifeways of prehistoric people within the context of their natural and cultural environment. My research area is Holocene Southeast Asia. I have been involved in research projects in Vietnam, Thailand and the Philippines and I received my PhD from The Australian National University in 2016.

Currently I am involved in a project in Myanmar as the bioarchaeologist for the Mission Archéologique Française au Myanmar. I have an interest in palaeohealth, palaeodietary reconstruction using stable isotopes and mortuary archaeology, in particular L'anthropologie de terrain. I also volunteer for the Australian Defence Force as a biological anthropologist.

I teach Forensic Archaeology and Hominin Evolution. My research interests and background directly complement my teaching, providing a broad range of experience that provides students a real life perspective and understanding of how the disciplines of archaeology, biological anthropology and forensic science including criminology are interconnected.

Teaching

• AR2407: Forensic Archaeology (Level 2; CNS & TSV)
• AR2416: Ancient Ancestors to Digital Devices: Our Evolutionary Journey (Level 2; TSV)

Research Disciplines

• Archaeology (4301)
• Anthropology (4401)

Socio-Economic Objectives

• Understanding past societies (1307)

These are the most recent publications associated with this author. To see a detailed profile of all publications stored at JCU, visit ResearchOnline@JCU. Hover over Altmetrics badges to see social impact.

Journal Articles

• Georjon C, Kyaw A, Win T, Win T, Pradier B, Willis A, Petchey P, Iizuka Y, Gonthier E, Pelegrin J, Bellina B and Pryce T (2021) Late Neolithic to Early-Mid Bronze Age semi-precious stone bead production and consumption at Oakaie and Nyaung'gan in central-northern Myanmar. Archaeological Research in Asia, 25, Article: 100240, DOI:10.1016/j.ara.2020.100240.
• Vlok M, Buckley H, Miszkiewicz J, Walker M, Domett K, Willis A, Trinh H, Minh T, Nguyen M, Nguyen L, Matsumura H, Wang T, Nghia H and Oxenham M (2021) Forager and farmer evolutionary adaptations to malaria evidenced by 7000 years of thalassemia in Southeast Asia. Scientific Reports, 11 (1), Article: 5677, DOI:10.1038/s41598-021-83978-4.
• Pradier B, Kyaw A, Win T, Willis A, Favereau A, Valentin F and Pryce T (2019) Pratiques funéraires et dynamique spatiale à Oakaie 1: Une nécropole à la transition du Néolithique à l’âge du Bronze au Myanmar (Birmanie) [Funerary practices and spatial dynamic at Oakaie 1, a burial ground at the transition of the Neolithic and Bronze. Bulletin de la Societe Prehistorique Francaise, 116 (3), pp. 539-560.
• Scott R, Buckley H, Domett K, Tromp M, Hoang Trinh H, Willis A, Matsumura H and Oxenham M (2019) Domestication and large animal interactions: skeletal trauma in northern Vietnam during the hunter-gatherer Da But period. PLoS ONE, 14 (9), Article: e0218777, DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0218777.
• Bentley R, Willis A, Pradier B, Kyaw A, Win T, Brandon A and Pryce T (2018) Social differences in Neolithic/Bronze Age Myanmar: 87Sr/86Sr in skeletal remains from Oakaie 1 and Nyaung'gan. Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports, 21, pp. 32 - 37, DOI:10.1016/j.jasrep.2018.06.030.
• Favereau A, Pryce T, Win T, Champion L, Win T, Htwe K, Mar A, Pradier B and Willis A (2018) Étude du mobilier céramique de deux cimetières de la fin du deuxième au début du premier millénaire avant notre ère en Haute Birmanie : technologie, typologie et chronologie [A study of the ceramic furniture of two cemeteries from the end of the second to. Bulletin de l'École française d'Extrême-Orient, 104, pp. 33-61.
• Oppenheimer J, Fernandes D, Ferry M, Gamarra B, Harney E, Kampuansai J, Kutanan W, Willis A, Reich D, Novak M, Sirak K, Stewardson K, Zhang Z, Flegontov P, Pinhasi R, Changmai P, Michel M, Pietrusewsky M, Candilio F, Lipson M, Cheronet O, Mallick S, Buckley H, Oxenham M, Pryce T, Win T, Broomandkhoshbacht N, Rohland N, Pradier B, Matsumura H, Kyaw A, Trinh H, Nguyen G and Domett K (2018) Ancient genomes document multiple waves of migration in Southeast Asian prehistory. Science, 361 (6397), pp. 92-95, DOI:10.1126/science.aat3188.
• Matsumura H, Shinoda K, Shimanjuntak T, Oktaviana A, Noerwidi S, Sofian H, Prastiningtyas D, Nguyen L, Kakuda T, Kanzawa-Kiriyama H, Adachi N, Hung H, Fan X, Wu X, Willis A and Oxenham M (2018) Cranio-morphometric and aDNA corroboration of the Austronesian dispersal model in ancient Island Southeast Asia: Support from Gua Harimau, Indonesia. PLoS ONE, 13 (6), Article: e0198689, DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0198689.
• Oxenham M, Trinh H, Willis A, Jones R, Domett K, Castillo C, Wood R, Bellwood P, Tromp M, Kells A, Piper P, Pham S, Matsumura H and Buckley H (2018) Between foraging and farming: strategic rseponses to the Holocene Thermal Maximum in Southeast Asia. Antiquity, 92 (364), pp. 940-957, DOI:10.15184/aqy.2018.69.
• Willis A, Georjon C, Higham C, Htwe K, Iizuka Y, Innanchai J, Le Meur C, Peixoto X, Petchey P, Pinhasi R, Valentin F, Zazzo A, Fuller D, Kyaw M, Pradier B, Win T, Favereau A, Kyaw A, Win T, Pryce T, Win K, Mon M, Aye M, Mar A, Bellina B, Bentley R, Champion L, Cook A, Colonna C and Htay S (2018) A first absolute chronology for Late Neolithic to Early Bronze Age Myanmar: new AMS C-14 dates from Nyaung'gan and Oakaie. Antiquity, 92 (363), pp. 690-708, DOI:10.15184/aqy.2018.66.

Book Chapters

• Oxenham M and Willis A (2017) Towards a bioarchaeology of care of children. In: New Developments in the Bioarchaeology of Care: further case studies and expanded theory. Bioarchaeology and Social Theory. Springer, Cham, Switzerland, pp. 219-236
• Oxenham M, Willis A, Hung H, Page R and Matsumura H (2016) Dealing with death in late Neolithic to Metal Period Nagsabaran, the Philippines. In: The Routledge Handbook of Bioarchaeology in Southeast Asia and the Pacific. Routledge, Abingdon, UK, pp. 311-338

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ResearchOnline@JCU stores 20+ research outputs authored by Dr Anna Willis from 2011 onwards.

Current and recent Research Funding to JCU is shown by funding source and project.

Advisory Accreditation: I can be on your Advisory Panel as a Primary or Secondary Advisor.

These Higher Degree Research projects are either current or by students who have completed their studies within the past 5 years at JCU. Linked titles show theses available within ResearchOnline@JCU.

Current

• Body size, health, and diet at Con Co Ngua, Vietnam: an isotopic assessment of diet and physiological assessment of skeletal remains (PhD , Secondary Advisor)
• Reconstruction of the Biological Profile of Modern and Prehistoric Thai Populations (PhD , Secondary Advisor)
• Shaping the stone: an experimental archaeology approach to the Plain of Jars megaliths, Lao PDR. (Masters , Secondary Advisor)
• An Analysis and Comparison of the Dentition and Dental Health of the people of Non Ban Jak (Masters , Secondary Advisor)
• A New Lease of Life: Using advanced Analytical Techniques in Bioarchaeology to Maximise the Understanding of the Prehistory of Sardinia (PhD , Secondary Advisor)

The map shows research collaborations by institution from the past 7 years.
Note: Map points are indicative of the countries or states that institutions are associated with.