Originially from New Zealand I have been at James Cook University since mid-2005. I was fortunate to study under Prof. Charles Higham at Otago University where I was able to get experience not only in prehistoric and historic archaeology in New Zealand but was also introduced to Southeast Asia. Since my first field work at the site of Nong Nor in Thailand (1991) I have been committed to working in the region.

Teaching

• AR1001: The World of Archaeology (Level 1; CNS)
• AR3501: Ancestors and Emperors: The Rise and Fall of Ancient Societies (Level 3; CNS & TSV)
• AR4007: Archaeological Research Methods (Level 4; TSV)
• AR5201: Principles of Archaeological Investigation (Level 5; TSV)
• AY5026: The Practice of Cultural Heritage Management (Level 5; TSV)
• BA1001: Time, Truth and the Human Condition (Level 1; TSV)

Interests

Professional

• In Laos we work very closely with a major mining company in a combined research and consultancy project. I am interested in further developing international collaborations where we cross the research and consultancy divide in interesting ways.

Research

• The prehistory of Southeast Asia. Major projects I am involved in are in Northeast Thailand (the site of Ban Non Wat and area) where we are investigating long-term changes in society and environment; from 4000 years ago to the present. We also have strong interests in integrating contemporary communities as key research collaborators. A second ongoing project is in Savannakhet Province, Lao PDR, where we are investigating ancient copper mining.

Teaching

• One of my main teaching interests is running the honours field school here in Townsville. This is where our continuing students are introduced to the realities of field work and develop skills from planning a project to completing the final report.

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

• Shewan L, O'Reilly D, Armstrong R, Toms P, Webb J, Beavan N, Luangkhoth T, Wood J, Halcrow S, Domett K, Van Den Bergh J and Chang N (2021) Dating the megalithic culture of Laos: radiocarbon, optically stimulated luminescence and U/Pb zircon results. PLoS ONE, 16 (3), Article: e0247167.
• Kanthilatha N, Boyd W and Chang N (2020) Sedimentary landscape of Mun Valley prehistoric site: construction history of moated site of Ban Non Wat, northeast Thailand. Quaternary, 3 (1), Article: 3, DOI:10.3390/quat3010003.
• Cadet M, Sayavongkhamdy T, Souksavatdy V, Luangkhoth T, Dillman P, Cloquet C, Vernet J, Piccardo P, Chang N, Edgar J, Foy E and Pryce T (2019) Lao's central role in Southeast Asian copper exchange networks: a multimethod study of bronzes from the Vilabouly Complex. Journal of Archaeological Science, 109, Article: 104988.
• Higham C, Manly B, Thosarat R, Buckley H, Chang N, Halcrow S, Ward S, O'Reilly D, Shewan L and Domett K (2019) Environmental and social change in northeast Thailand during the Iron Age. Cambridge Archaeological Journal, 29 (4), pp. 549-569, DOI:10.1017/S0959774319000192.
• Pedersen L, Domett K, Chang N, Halcrow S, Buckley H, Higham C, O'Reilly D and Shewan L (2019) A bioarchaeological study of trauma at Late Iron Age to Protohistoric Non Ban Jak, Northeast Thailand. Asian Perspectives, 58 (2), pp. 220-249, DOI:10.1353/asi.2019.0014.
• Castillo C, Higham C, Miller K, Chang N, Douka K, Higham T and Fuller D (2018) Social responses to climate change in Iron Age north-east Thailand: new archaeobotanical evidence. Antiquity, 92 (365), pp. 1274-1291, DOI:10.15184/aqy.2018.198.
• Domett K, Evans C, Chang N, Tayles N and Newton J (2017) Interpreting osteoarthritis in bioarchaeology: highlighting the importance of a clinical approach through case studies from prehistoric Thailand. Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports, 11, pp. 762-773, DOI:10.1016/j.jasrep.2016.12.030.
• Kanthilatha N, Boyd W, Parr J and Chang N (2017) Implications of phytolith and diatom assemblages in the cultural layers of prehistoric archaeological sites of Ban Non Wat and Nong Hua Raet in Northeast Thailand. Environmental Archaeology, 22 (1), pp. 15-27, DOI:10.1179/1749631415Y.0000000026.
• Kanthilatha N, Boyd W and Chang N (2017) Multi-element characterization of archaeological floors at the prehistoric archaeological sites at Ban Non Wat and Nong Hua Raet in Northeast Thailand. Quaternary International, 432, pp. 66-78, DOI:10.1016/j.quaint.2014.07.067.
• Castillo C, Tanaka K, Sato Y, Ishikawa R, Bellina B, Higham C, Chang N, Mohanty R, Kajale M and Fuller D (2016) Archaeogenetic study of prehistoric rice remains from Thailand and India: evidence of early japonica in South and Southeast Asia. Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences, 8 (3), pp. 523-543, DOI:10.1007/s12520-015-0236-5.
• Duke B, Chang N, Moffat I and Morris W (2016) The invisible moats of the Mun River Valley, NE Thailand: the examination of water management devices at mounded sites through ground-penetrating radar(GPR). Journal of Indo-Pacific Archaeology, 40, pp. 1-11, DOI:10.7152/jipa.v40i0.14895.

Book Chapters

• Domett K, Newton J, Colbert A, Chang N and Halcrow S (2016) Frail, foreign or favoured? A contextualized case study from Bronze Age northeast Thailand. In: The Routledge Handbook of Bioarchaeology in Southeast Asia and the Pacific Islands. Routledge, New York, NY, USA, pp. 68-94

More

ResearchOnline@JCU stores 40+ research outputs authored by Dr Nigel Chang from 1998 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

• Reconstruction of the Biological Profile of Modern and Prehistoric Thai Populations (PhD , Secondary Advisor)
• Who were the People of Prehistoric Vilabouly? Exploring Origins and Relationships through Archeometallurgy. (PhD , Primary Advisor/AM/Adv)
• For A Few Horses More: The role of domesticated livestock in the development of north Queensland. (Masters , Primary Advisor)
• Shaping the stone: an experimental archaeology approach to the Plain of Jars megaliths, Lao PDR. (Masters , Primary Advisor/AM/Adv)
• An Analysis and Comparison of the Dentition and Dental Health of the people of Non Ban Jak (Masters , Secondary Advisor)
• The functions and contents of the Spindle Whorls in Thai Prehistory with the particular reference to the site of Ban Non Wat (PhD , Primary Advisor)
• A local perspective on cultural integration and complexity in the early historic period: 1st Millennium AD Archaeology in Northeast Thailand. (PhD , Primary Advisor/AM/Adv)
• Calf Clan Culture: Rock art of the Khorat Plateau (PhD , Primary Advisor/AM/Adv)
• Ancient ceramics at Vilabouly: pottery production and society in Laos (PhD , Primary Advisor/AM/Adv)
• "In any direction it would be difficult to find one acre of level ground”: The Mining and Social Landscapes of the Normanby Goldfield, near Bowen, North Queensland (PhD , Primary Advisor/AM/Adv)

Completed

• Trauma and conflict in prehistoric Southeast Asia: a life of war or peace (2017, Masters , Secondary Advisor)
• Small sugar farmer agency in the tropics 1872-1914 and the anomalous Herbert River Farmers' Association (2019, PhD , Advisor Mentor)
• Zooarchaeological analysis of animal resources in the Upper Mun River Valley, Northeast Thailand (2019, PhD , Primary Advisor)
• Bridging the divide in heritage? Managing caves as heritage places within the Sepon Gold and Copper Mine, Lao PDR (2019, PhD , Primary Advisor/AM/Adv)
• Sites, survey, and ceramics: a GIS-based approach to modelling ancient settlement patterns in the Upper Mun River, Northeast Thailand (2016, PhD , Primary Advisor)
• The road to Townsville's early success: the engendered cultural landscape of Hervey Range and the community 'at its foot' (2016, PhD , Secondary Advisor)
• Reflected in the soil: Site formation processes as an index of social and environmental change at the site of Ban Non Wat, NE Thailand (2016, Masters , Primary 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.