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Griffith researchers are uncovering more about the “archaeologically invisible” – children of the Ice Age and their toys.
Archaeologists have believed it near impossible to find toys from the deep past of Europe — the Palaeolithic, which dates to between around 45,000 to 11,000 years ago.
Looking for children from this period is a relatively new aspect of archaeological research.
Australian Research Centre for Human Evolution archaeologist Dr Michelle Langley said by looking at what toys children in present-day hunter-gatherer communities played with they could identify likely playthings used by children who lived tens of thousands of years ago.
“These playthings commonly include dolls or figurines, small spears or bows-and-arrows, small versions of the tools commonly used by their parents, and mud figures,” she said.
“It was also found that often the parents or other family members will spend many hours making beautiful and often expensive toys for their children.”

In her paper in the Oxford

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Here’s a couple of questions to consider as the year nears its end and the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games (GC2018) loom large on the Queensland horizon: Why is the Gold Coast a great city to host a major event like GC2018? How can hosting GC2018 benefit the city into the future?
Two of Griffith University’s leading researchers on the Gold Coast will combine their academic powers to provide answers at an event to be hosted by City of Gold Coast Libraries on Wednesday, December 6.
City of Gold Coast Libraries presents 2018 Inside Scoop at Robina Library and Community Centre where Professor Paul Burton, Director, Cities Research Institute, and Professor Susanne Becken, Director, Griffith Institute for Tourism, will bring their expertise to bear on two of the prevailing themes surrounding the build-up to next year’s major event on the Gold Coast.
“The city has the infrastructure and a great track record of

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Understanding the experience of stroke survivors and realising that there is not a ‘one size fits all’ approach to rehabilitation are the findings from a new Griffith study.
Conducted on the Gold Coast by Griffith Masters of Medical Research, Occupational Therapy student Ms Kim Walder and Professor Matthew Molineux from Griffith’s Menzies Health Institute Queensland, the study explored the process of adjustment post-stroke from the survivor’s perspective.
In the study, six stroke survivors, based mainly on the Gold Coast, and aged between 34 and 76, shared their personal journey of adjustment via a series of in-depth interviews.
They each highlighted a period of ‘disconnection’ from self, others and reality following stroke and the process of re/establishing connections.
A unique experience
“We realised quite early on from our study, that each survivor’s stroke experience and the way they deal with their rehabilitation process, can be quite unique,” says Ms Walder, who will be discussing the study

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By Pascalis Raimondos, Professor of Economics, Head of School, Queensland University of Technology &
Sara L. McGaughey, Professor of International Business, Griffith University
The recently released Paradise Papers have again turned the media spotlight on small tax havens. The only difference from last year’s Panama Papers is that the contracts leaked to the public are from a respectable law firm in Bermuda (Appleby), and not from a suspicious and less-known firm in Panama (Mossack Fonseca). Otherwise, the key message is the same; individuals and firms use the services of tax havens to avoid paying taxes in their own countries. Appleby’s media response was shift and clear: there is nothing illegal in their actions. In short, Appleby uses tax law loopholes that allow individuals and firms to transfer their wealth in countries where taxation is zero.
The immediate reaction by some was that we should regulate and close these loopholes. That is the traditional

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Griffith Film School has scored a record 10 nominations at this year’s Australian Teachers of Media (ATOM) awards.
The awards, established in 1982, recognise the best Australian and New Zealand screen content from film schools and screen industry professionals.
Acting Head of Griffith Film School,  Professor Trish FitzSimons, said the strong showing reflected the calibre of talent nurtured at GFS.
“We are very proud of what our students, graduates and faculty members are producing, and are delighted to see their work recognised at this level,” she said.
“ATOM is the second-longest running film and media awards in Australia, behind the AFI/AACTA Awards.
“Competitions like this allow our filmmakers to make industry connections and build a wider audience for their work.”
Among the projects recognised was She’s Not There, nominated for Best Experimental Film.
The pioneering film was conceived by Griffith Film School animation lecturers Dr Peter Moyes and Dr Louise Harvey.

Motion capture technology, a live orchestra and the skills of a

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Griffith University’s reputation as a world-class training centre for aviation students has been strengthened with a brand new lab.
The flight procedures lab features a room full of computers equipped with simulators to put students in the cockpit of a plane.
Students are able to choose between single or twin engine controls and practise in the labs whenever they need further study.
Aviation lecturer Arie Korf said the lab would give students the opportunity to further develop their skills and prepare them for real flight training.
“This lab will provide innovative teaching for our students and research opportunities for our staff,” he said.

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Griffith University student Azaria Bell has had a spectacular year in 2017, and her latest achievement – being named University Student of the Year at this month’s Financial Planning Association of Australia (FPA) Awards – is yet another proverbial feather in her bountifully plumed cap.
Announced at the annual FPA Professionals Congress in Hobart, Azaria’s award came as something of a surprise for the Financial Planning major, who says she had “no idea” that her name would be called out at the event.
“I originally got nominated by Griffith, and about two or three weeks ago I found out I was a finalist, in the top three, which was really exciting,” she said. “I didn’t know that I was the winner until they announced it on stage. It was a huge shock to me.”
“It’s something that I honestly would never have dreamed of,” she continued. “For me, it was confirmation that I was

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Workplace stress amongst hospital emergency department staff is prevalent despite the working environment being generally perceived positively amongst nursing and medical staff who use a range of coping strategies.
These are some of the outcomes of a collaborative study undertaken between Griffith University, University of the Sunshine Coast, Gold Coast Health, Sunshine Coast Hospital and Health Service and Göteborgs Universitet.
The study, funded by the Emergency Medicine Foundation, surveyed 150 clinical emergency staff from two Sunshine Coast hospitals.
“We found that even people that have been in their positions for a long time, still find the environment stressful,” says Research Fellow Dr Amy Johnston from Griffith’s Menzies Health Institute Queensland (MHIQ) and Gold Coast Health.
“The staff stressors and coping strategies were found to be similar across EDs and professional roles. This research provides foundational evidence to inform and support strategies for staff within EDs. These strategies need to consider individual and organisational approaches

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Raising the profile of women’s participation in sport across all sectors of society will be the focus of a symposium at Griffith University’s Gold Coast campus tomorrow (November 28).
Hosted by the Centre for Social and Cultural Research and the Department of Tourism, Sport and Hotel Management, speakers include leading sports academics and industry professionals.
Griffith University Research Fellow Dr Adele Pavlidis, who is researching women and contact sport, said while women’s participation at elite and recreational levels was being acknowledged as valuable, there was still a long way to go.
Dr Adele Pavlidis.
“Barriers include equal pay and access to competition and training facilities as well as equal media coverage,’’ she said.
“We need to work across silos and work together so we can increase women’s participation in all sports traditionally dominated by males.”
She said women’s contact sports such as AFL competition, rugby sevens and rugby league were now commanding serious media and audience

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Griffith filmmaker Claire Randall has won an award for Best Documentary at the Uni Shorts Film Festival in New Zealand for her film, Wolfe.
The acclaimed documentary continued its dream run, beating out entries from film schools in the US, Switzerland, China and New Zealand.
“This entire experience has been so unexpected, ” Claire said.

“Every time we recieve this kind of recognition it’s surreal. I’m so grateful the film has resonated with so many audiences.

“UniShorts is one of many festivals that has granted us opportunities we never saw coming.”
The film was motivated by Claire’s own encounter with mental illness as a teenager. It uses interviews and animation to explore a young man’s journey through adolescence with undiagnosed schizophrenia, and his relationship with an imaginary friend, Mister Wolfe.

The Bachelor of Film and Screen Media Production student has spent the past 12 months accompanying the film to festivals around the world.
The journey began in

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