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)
• Defence (1401)

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

• Paba R, D'Orlando D, Willis A, Lugliè C and Domett K (2023) An unusual case of prone position in the Punic/Roman necropolis of Monte Luna in Sardinia (Italy): A multi-disciplinary interpretation of Tomb 27. Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports, 48.
• Vlok M, Oxenham M, Domett K, Trinh H, Minh T, Mai Huong N, Matsumura H, Truong Huu N, Nguyen L, Willis A and Buckley H (2023) Scurvy in the Tropics: Evidence for increasing non-adult micronutrient deficiency with the transition to agriculture in northern Vietnam. American Journal of Biological Anthropology, 180 (4). pp. 715-732
• Wang T, McFadden C, Buckley H, Domett K, Willis A, Trinh H, Matsumura H, Vlok M and Oxenham M (2023) Paleoepidemiology of cribra orbitalia: Insights from early seventh millennium BP Con Co Ngua, Vietnam. American Journal of Biological Anthropology, 181 (2). pp. 250-261
• Willis A, Roberts P, Kyaw M, Win T, Pradier B, King C, Ilgner J, Lucas M, Cook A, Piper P and Pryce T (2023) Living in the dry zone: Stable isotope insights into palaeodiet in ancient Myanmar. Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports, 48.
• Vlok M, Buckley H, Domett K, Willis A, Tromp M, Trinh H, Minh T, Mai Huong N, Nguyen L, Matsumura H, Huu N and Oxenham M (2022) Hydatid disease (Echinococcosis granulosis) diagnosis from skeletal osteolytic lesions in an early seventh?millennium BP forager community from preagricultural northern Vietnam. American Journal of Biological Anthropology, 177 (1). pp. 100-115
• 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.
• MacGregor D, Lain R, Bernie A, Cooper A, Dawe T, Donlon D, Fitzmaurice T, Kelly G, Heiman S, Lowe A, Manns B, Matic A, Mitchell N, Oakley D, Tutty M, White T, Williams G, Willis A, Wright K, Wu Y and Oxenham M (2021) “Lest we forget”: an overview of Australia’s response to the recovery and identification of unrecovered historic military remains. Forensic Science International, 328.
• 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).
• 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).
• 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

Book Chapters

• Oxenham M, Willis A, Nguy?n L and Matsumura H (2022) Hunter-Gatherer Mortuary Variability in Vietnam. In: The Oxford Handbook of Early Southeast Asia. Oxford University Press, New York, NY, USA, pp. 229-271

More

ResearchOnline@JCU stores 27+ 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)
• The effects of aging on bone macro- and microstructure of two populations in the Asia-Pacific region (PhD , Secondary Advisor)
• Life of the Stone: Experimental approaches to megalith production (PhD , Secondary Advisor)
• Leprosy and Tuberculosis? A Southeast Asian Paleopathological Investigation (PhD , Primary Advisor)
• Enhancing palaeopathological diagnostic techniques for osteoporosis through analysis of prehistoric and modern Southeast Asian skeletal collections (PhD , Primary Advisor)

Completed

• A new lease on life: using advanced analytical techniques in bioarchaeology to maximise the understanding of past populations of Sardinia (2023, PhD , Secondary Advisor)
• The dentition of the people of Iron Age Non Ban Jak (2022, Masters , Secondary Advisor)
• Shaping the stone: experimental approaches to the Plain of Jars megaliths, Lao PDR (2022, Masters , 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.