Brian Egloff completed his PhD thesis at ANU in 1971 after his extensive research into the evolving trade routes of eastern Papua. He had previously completed field work on a number of sites in the Cherokee nation. From 1972-1978, Egloff was employed at the Papua New Guinea Public Museum and Art Gallery. From 1981-1988, he was the Project Manager of the Port Arthur Conservation and Development Project and established rigorous standards for heritage conservation. He has worked extensively with Aboriginal communities on land rights issues, Aboriginal community heritage and archaeological heritage management and conservation. In 1989 Egloff began lecturing in anthropology, archaeology, and heritage studies at the University of Canberra. He has undertaken various field work in Australia, Southeast Asia, and the Pacific region, including five field seasons at the Tam Ting conservation project in Laos. He was named a Visiting Fellow at the ANU College of Asia and the Pacific in 2014. His book 'Bones of the Ancestors: The Ambum Stone, From the New Guinea Highlands to the Antiquities Market to Australia' explores the range of issues surrounding the National Gallery of Australia's acquisition of a National Cultural Property of Papua New Guinea.