Person

Dortch, Charlie E. ( - 2014)

Born
Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
Died
2014
Occupation
Anthropologist

Summary

Charlie Dortch had a varied career as navigator and surveyor for geophysical crews and archaeological surveys, before his appointment in 1970 as Curator of Anthropology at the Western Australian Museum. In his research he was adept at using scattered and sometimes sparse ethnographic and historical sources to understand better how people functioned in their environments. He addressed questions of seasonality, the nature of microlithic industries, the role of shellfish in Aboriginal economies and evidence for long distance trade in these contexts. His work showed that there were pan-Australian similarities in the Aboriginal past, as well as regional differences to be addressed in future research. Dortch managed or advised on over 150 archaeological projects, frequently working with scientists from other disciplines and with indigenous communities.

Details

Chronology

1963
Education - BSc, University of Southern Mississippi
1970 - ?
Career position - Curator of Anthropology, Western Australian Museum
1970
Life event - Migrated to Western Australia
2001
Education - PhD, University of Western Australia
2011 - 2013
Career position - Associate Professor, University of Western Australia

Related Corporate Bodies

Published resources

Journal Articles

  • Dortch, Joe; Balme, Jane; Bowdler, Sandra; with Randolf, Peter, 'Charlie Dortch: history and archaeology across three continents', Australian Archaeology, 79 (2014), 78-80. Details

Resources

Helen Cohn

EOAS ID: biogs/P005548b.htm

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"... the rengitj, as a visible mark or imprint on the land, is characterised as a place of origin, the repository of all names, as well as a kind of mapped visual expression of the connection between people and places which is to be carried out in the temporal sequence of the journey." Fanca Tamisari (1998) 'Body, Vision and Movement: In the footprints of the ancestors'. Oceania 68(4) p260