About us
Access Archaeology has expertise in both Aboriginal and European heritage studies and is able to complete projects in all Australian States and Territories.
Access Archaeology is committed to a high standard of service. We adhere to a policy of close liaison with our clients throughout the duration of a project and are mindful of the need for timely production of results and concise and accurate reporting.
Doug Williams
Principal Archaeologist
Doug has been a professional archaeologist and heritage manager since 1992, undertaking large-scale complex archaeological projects in New South Wales, ACT, Queensland, Western Australia, Victoria and South Australia. He was Victoria’s Senior Project Archaeologist at Aboriginal Affairs Victoria and the Executive Officer for the Willandra Lakes Region World Heritage Area. Doug is a member of the ACT Heritage Council, building on his previous appointments from 2014-2020. He received the 2012 Laila Haglund Award for Excellence in Consulting Archaeology and the 2013 Waikato University Award for best use of radiocarbon dating. Doug has well developed fieldwork skills in archaeological survey, field recording, artefact identification/analysis, all scales of excavation and associated documentation, and GIS based field recording. He is a CASA accredited RPA Operator in of Drones up to 2kg.
Publications by Doug Williams
Kerkhove, R., J.Silcock, D.Williams et al. 2024. ‘Fish traps, seed-grinding and food stores: reconstructing complex Mithaka Indigenous economic and water management technologies’, in C. Smith, K. Pollard, A. Kumar Kanungo, S. May, S. Varela Lopez, and J. Watkins (eds) The Oxford Handbook of Global Indigenous Archaeologies. Oxford: Oxford University Press. doi.org/10.1093/oxfordhb/9780197607695.013.60
Lowe, K., D.Williams, N.Wright, S.Gorringe, J.Gorringe, I.Andrews, M.C.Ustunkaya, B.Gorringe, and M.C. Westaway 2023. ‘Ula Thirra: A Case Study in the Geomagnetic Detection of Combustion Features in Channel Country of far south-western Queensland’. Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences. doi.org/10.1007/s12520-023-01722-7.
Williams, D., M.Westaway and I.Andrews. 2022. ‘Coomathulla Monuments: Sandstone Quarries of the Mithaka’, In Westaway, M, M.Mapar, T.Hough, S.Gorringe and G.Ginn (Eds). 2022. Kirrenderri, Heart of Channel Country. University of Queensland Anthopology Museum, Brisbane. Pp48-51.
Westaway, M., D.Williams, and J.Kelly. ‘Mungo Ancestral Remains reburial proposal disrespects the Elders’ original vision’. The Conversation (Arts + Culture) published online on 04/08/2021.
Adams,S. M.Westaway, D. McGahan, D.Williams, Et Al. 2021. ‘Isotopic analyses of prehistoric human remains from the Flinders Group, Queensland, Australia, support an association between burial practices and status’. Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences. (2021) 13:121. doi.org/10.1007/s12520-021-01376-3
Westaway, M.C., D.Williams, Et Al. 2021. ‘Hidden in Plain Sight: Systematic fieldwork in Mithaka Country, Southwest Queensland, reveals an extensive archaeological landscape’. Antiquity 95(382), 1043-1060 doi.org/10.15184/aqy.2021.31.
Westaway, M., W.Clark, D.Williams & G.Quayle. 2021. ‘Reburying World Heritage human remains would close window on Barkindji past’. Nature 589,19. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-020-03645-y
Adams, S., Collard, M. Williams, D., Et Al. 2020. ‘A community bioarchaeology project in the Flinders Islands Group, Australia’. Archaeologies: Journal of the World Archaeological Congress. Published online 17/11/2020. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11759-020-09411-w.
Marsh, M., P.Hiscock, D. Williams, Et Al, 2018. ‘Watura Jurnti – a 42 to 45,000 year-long occupation sequence from the north-eastern Pilbara’. Archaeology in Oceania. DOI: 10.1002/arco.5152.
Westaway, MC., Williams, D.G., Et Al. 2016. ‘The Death of Kakutcha: A Case of Perimortem weapon trauma in an Aboriginal man from north west New South Wales, Australia’. Antiquity 90 353 (2016): 1318–1333. doi:10.15184/aqy.2016.173.
Miller, G., Magee, J., Smith, M., Baynes, A., Lehman, S.,Spooner, N., Fogel, M., Webb, S., Johnston, H., Williams, D., Et Al. 2016. ‘Direct evidence of human predation on extinct Australian megafauna between 53.9 and 47.5 ka’. Nature Communications 7:10196 doi:10.1038/ncomms10496(2016).
SUBMITTED/IN PREP
Williams, D., M.Quinn, J.Silcock, K.Westaway, J.Gorringe and M.C.Westaway. In Prep. ‘World’s largest quarry created by a non-agricultural society, Mithaka Country Central Australia’. Submitted to Nature June 2024. (accepted, revisions in prep).
Williams, D. M.Sullivan, P.Hughes and A.Grinbergs. In prep. ‘Out in the open: a complex of stratified artefact clusters in the Pilbara demonstrating a history of occupation to beyond the LGM’ submitted to Archaeology in Oceania.
Williams, D., S.Gorringe, J.Gorringe, T.Hough, S.Blinco and M.C.Westaway. In Prep. ‘Meanings in Wul-ung-ara and Dai-oorlu-Doori: The Brown collection of hatchets and grindstones from Durrie Station, channel country, far south west Queensland’. Submitted to Australian Archaeology March 2024 (accepted, revisions in prep).
Westaway, M.C., Lowe, K.M., Martin, M., Williams, D., Andrews, I, Gorringe, J., and Cane S. In Prep. ‘A Mithaka stone arrangement, south-western Queensland and possible links to the Central Desert’. Submitted to Ethnoarchaeology May 2024.
Westaway, M.C., Lowe, K.M., Martin, M., Williams, D., Andrews, I, Gorringe, J., and Cane S. In Prep. ‘A Mithaka stone arrangement, south-western Queensland and possible links to the Central Desert’. Submitted to Ethnoarchaeology May 2024.