In this month’s newsletter, we would like to introduce PhD graduate, Dr Vito Hernandez from the College of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences.
Vito’s recently submitted thesis, “Early human dispersals and occupations of Pleistocene Southeast Asia: A micro-geoarchaeological approach” received outstanding results from the examiners.
We asked Vito to share what his research was about, what led him to a PhD, advice for new students and what were the highlights.
What was your research about in 1-2 sentences?
With two sites as case studies and a review of the state-of-the-art (micro-geoarchaeology) as applied to Southeast Asia, a key region for the study of human evolution, my research elucidated the early human dispersals and occupations in the region during the Pleistocene from around 700,000 to 11,000 years ago. I investigated the two sites using a slew of microstratigraphic methods that include sediment micromorphology, electron microscopy and elemental mapping, and environmental magnetics.
What led you to undertake a PhD? What inspired or motivated you?
As a long-time field- and research-archaeologist (almost 20 years) working on Pleistocene (1.2 Ma to 11 ka) sites in Southeast Asia, I noticed a dearth of archaeological science techniques applied to research in a region with the potential to inform us about the deep pasts of humans as they dispersed from Africa towards the Far East and across the islands. I also saw the need to develop local (Southeast Asian) scientists capable of responding to grand research questions in human evolution studies. Developing local scientific capacity potentially eases the burden of overdependence on foreign collaboration, assistance and interventions in scientific research. To this second point, I believed internationalisation (through an international HDR degree) would be an initial step towards responding to this need to develop more Southeast Asian archaeological scientists.
Tell us about yourself
I am a Filipino archaeologist with a deep interest in cultural evolution and science (knowledge) as heritage. I have worked in heritage and archaeology in different capacities across Eurasia, but mostly in Southeast Asia. I am passionate about making my science serve the interests of the masses (the everyday working-class person, their families and communities), especially in developing nations and nations exploited by foreign (and mostly corporate) interests. I am a firm believer in the Liberal Education and the importance of advancing the cause of the Humanities and Social Sciences to inform scientific and technological development. People are at the core of my science.
What have you been doing since you completed?
I began a lectureship in Archaeology in the College of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences here at Flinders University just before completing my PhD. My position is comprised of a balanced workload of research, teaching and administrative work. On the weekends, I spend as much time possible catching up on reading books not directly associated with work, but with the potential to inform my work and view of the world. Some of the books which I have recently read since completing my PhD include Life, which is a biography of Pope Francis through the vantage of history and Death as told by a Sapiens to a Neanderthal by two Spaniards, the award-winning writer Juan José Millás and eminent professor of Palaeontology Juan Luis Arsuaga. I particularly enjoyed this book as it wove the humanities and biological sciences through the travels and conversations of two people of disparate persuasions and points in their life. I am currently leafing through the pages of the The Best Australian Science Writing 2024 but have found little time to progress on it with all the marking of student assignments I currently need to finish.
What was highlight of your student life at Flinders?
I grew up in a university environment. The University as a place for cultivating the mind through the pursuit of universal knowledge, aiming to develop well-rounded individuals with a broad understanding of various disciplines, not just specialised knowledge (sensu Cardinal John Henry Newman) is what I look forward to every waking day of mine. Every day at Flinders was a highlight! I got to conduct interesting research, interact with academics from different disciplines—Humanities, Arts and the Social Sciences is the perfect College for this! —and work with a mentor who conceives archaeological science similarly.
Getting to do international fieldwork in Laos, the only landlocked country in Southeast Asia and, in my opinion, one of the most beautiful landscapes in the region, was super. Getting to collaborate with a fantastic bevy of scientists from all over, but mostly Europe, including a dear friend who I did my Masters studies with when I was in Europe, made working in Laos even more meaningful.
The supportive and collegial cohort of Flinders PhD students and academics in the Discipline of Archaeology certainly shed a bright light on my everyday spent in the University.
How did your supervisors support you during your candidature?
My primary supervisor, Professor Mike Morley, and associate supervisor, Associate Professor Martin Polkinghorne did a sterling job of guiding me through the research and PhD journey. From ensuring that I had access to data to just being there when I had panic attacks and ensuring all would be fine, the support they gave me was immeasurable and invaluable.
The support Mike and Martin gave me extended beyond guidance in research. Both treated me with such high esteem and had confidence in me even when I doubted myself. They provided me with opportunities to lecture and tutor and involved me in side-projects which helped inform my own practice, grow my network of archaeologists in Australasian region, and give me a glimpse of the academic system of higher education in Australia.
What advice would you give to those who are about to undertake a PhD?
It is alright be afraid but do it. This IS your PhD. You might fall, but you won’t fail. The University as a community will help ensure your success. Your unique contribution to knowledge will be a win for you, Flinders University, Australia and the world.
Remember, a PhD is a privilege for at least two reasons. First, your paid to focus on one thing and one thing alone for the next 3.5 to 4 years, your research. Second, you’re doing this amidst many others in similar situations, but from different disciplines, and possibly different cultures and world views. Grab these privileges, especially the second one, where you have the opportunity to widen your intellectual and cultural horizons through friendly bonding, discussion and even academic collaboration.
Have you published anything?
I published several articles during my PhD, and recently (2020–2025). My publications cover a range of types, from opinion pieces in public dailies in the Philippines (e.g., in the Philippine Star1) to scientific review and research articles in Q1 (e.g., in Nature Ecology and Evolution2, Nature Communications3 and Journal of Archaeological Science4), special issue (e.g., in Philippine Studies5), or theme-dedicated journals (e.g., in Archaeological Review from Cambridge6). Most of these publications are inter- and cross-disciplinary (e.g., in Infrared Physics and Technology7). As a geoarchaeological specialist and, broadly, as environmental archaeologist, a lot of the work I do is complementary and informative to many research projects I have involved myself in (e.g., in Proceedings of the Society of Philippine Archaeologists8). But I have also led research on papers focused on my micro-geoarchaeological (e.g., in Quaternary Science Reviews9) and environmental archaeological specialisms (e.g., in Archaeological Review from Cambridge5). The latest research paper I led published in the Q1 journal Quaternary Science Reviews formed the primary results of my PhD, which I am proud of.
The range of my publications, including those transliterated for more popular consumption (e.g., in The Conversation10, 11), demonstrates my firm commitment to disseminating knowledge that is accessible to different audiences. It is also a testament to my commitment to meaningful collegial scientific collaboration, which I am always grateful for.
- Commentary: Reclamation-related floods and increasingly inequitable development Hernandez, V.C., 24 Jun 2020, In: Philippine Star. https://www.philstar.com/news-commentary/2020/06/24/2023406/commentary-reclamation-related-floods-and-increasingly-inequitable-development
————————– - Why the geosciences are becoming increasingly vital to the interpretation of the human evolutionary record
Morley, M. W., Moffat, I., Kotarba-Morley, A. M., Hernandez, V. C., Zerboni, A., Herries, A. I. R., Joannes-Boyau, R. & Westaway, K., 30 Nov 2023, In: Nature Ecology & Evolution. 7, 12, p. 1971-1977 https://doi.org/10.1038/s41559-023-02215-5
————————– - Early presence of Homo sapiens in Southeast Asia by 86–68 kyr at Tam Pà Ling, Northern Laos
Freidline, S. E., Westaway, K. E., Joannes-Boyau, R., Duringer, P., Ponche, J-L., Morley, M. W., Hernandez, V. C., McAllister-Hayward, M. S., McColl, H., Zanolli, C., Gunz, P., Bergmann, I., Sichanthongtip, P., Sihanam, D., Boualaphane, S., Luangkhoth, T., Souksavatdy, V., Dosseto, A., Boesch, Q., Patole-Edoumba, E., Aubaile, F., Crozier, F., Suzzoni, E., Frangeul, S., Bourgon, N., Zachwieja, A., Dunn, T.E., Bacon, A-M., Hublin, J-J., Demeter, F., 13 Jun 2023, In: Nature Communications. 14, 21 p., 3193. http://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-023-38715-y
————————– - Life beyond the lakes: An analysis and implications of a Pleistocene combustion feature on the Pike River in South Australia
Westell, C., Robers, A., Morley, M.W., Moffat, I., Hernandez, V.C., Spooner, N.A., McDonnell, K., Rudd, R., Petchey, F., the River Murray and Mallee Aboriginal Corporation, 2025, In: Journal of Archaeological Science 180, 106264. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jas.2025.10626
————————– - Lessons from the “Counter-Environmental Impact Assessment”: A Reflection on the Methods of Community Science
T. Lagos, D., C. Eco, R., C. Hernandez, V.C., M. Carag, J. W. & Gasmen, H. J., Mar 2023, In: Philippine Studies: Historical and Ethnographic Viewpoints. 71, 1, p. 107-133 27 p. https://archium.ateneo.edu/phstudies/vol71/iss1/7/
————————– - Synanthropic insects suggest early agricultural use of anthropogenic landscapes in the Philippines
Hernandez, V.C., Lipardo, I.C., Rofes, J., Mabanag, M., Barretto-Tesoro, G., 2024, In: Archaeological Review from Cambridge. 39.1, p. 103-133. https://doi.org/10.17863/CAM.118230
————————– - Terahertz transmission spectroscopy of soil minerals for geoarchaeological evaluation of sediments excavated from Pinagbayanan Batangas, Philippines
Café, A.I., Bacaoco, M., Tugado, C., De Los Reyes, A., Faustino, M-A., Lopez Jr., L., Hernandez, V.C., Mabanag, M., Lipardo, I.C., Barretto-Tesoro, G., Estacio, E.S., Dec 2020, In: Infrared Physics & Technology. 111. p. 103568. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.infrared.2020.103568
————————– - Floodplains and marshes of Agusan: Preliminary overview of the Talacogon, Agusan del Sur archaeological excavation and survey
Pineda, A., Hernandez, V.C., Estrella, V., Basilia, P., Claravall, F., Lara, M., Siringan, R., Geologan, M., Durango, L., Paz, V., 2021, In: Proceedings of the Society of Philippine Archaeologists. 11, p. 56-83. https://www.kapi.org.ph/research-dissemination/proceedings/vol-11-2021-kapi-proceedings
————————– - Late Pleistocene–Holocene (52–10) microstratigraphy, fossil taphonomy and depositional environments from Tam Pà Ling cave (northeastern Laos)
Hernandez, V.C., Morley, M.W., Bacon, A.-M., Duringer, P., Westaway, K.E., Joannes-Boyau, R., J.-L. Ponche, Zanolli, C., Sichanthongtip, P., Boualaphane, S., Luangkhoth, T., Hublin, J.-J., Demeter, F. 2024, In: Quaternary Science Reviews, 344, 108982. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.quascirev.2024.108982
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- Bones, the ‘Cave of Monkeys’ and 86,000 years of history: new evidence pushes back the timing of human arrival in Southeast Asia
Westaway, K., McAllister-Hayward, M., Morley, M.W., Joannes-Boyau, R., Hernandez, V.C., 14 Jun 2023, In: The Conversation. https://theconversation.com/bones-the-cave-of-the-monkeys-and-86-000-years-of-history-new-evidence-pushes-back-the-timing-of-human-arrival-in-southeast-asia-206232
————————– - Controversial claims about extinct humans are stirring up evolution research. Here’s how the mess could have been avoided
Morley, M.W., Herries, A.I.R., Kotarba-Morley, A.M., Joannes-Boyau, R., Hernandez, V.C., 1 Dec 2023, In: The Conversation. https://theconversation.com/controversial-claims-about-extinct-humans-are-stirring-up-evolution-research-heres-how-the-mess-could-have-been-avoided-216642