Rachel Popelka-Filcoff

Professor Rachel Popelka-Filcoff FRACI is the Rock Art Australia Minderoo Chair in Archaeological Science in the School of Geography, Earth and Atmospheric Sciences at the University of Melbourne, where she leads archaeological science initiatives. Her research develops novel multidisciplinary approaches to analyse cultural materials, artifacts and landscapes. These integrated methods offer an extraordinary view into past cultures, understanding of current society, and insight into our future. Her group explores provenience, sourcing and exchange of geological materials and artifacts through analysis and statistical approaches, and the development of high-resolution, non-invasive characterisation of cultural heritage materials. Her research is to the first comprehensive integrative characterisation of Australian natural mineral pigments on cultural heritage materials. Rachel is on the editorial board of Journal of Archaeological Science and is a Fellow of the Royal Australian Chemical Institute.