Archaeology in Oceania最新文献

Unlike the dominant Australian savanna-sclerophyll vegetation, tropical rainforests do not burn easily. Any evidence of fire in Australian rainforests therefore invites explanations of its source. Analysis of 187 radiocarbon dates that include selected charcoal fragments from 23 soil pits and 7 archaeological sites from the Wet Tropics Bioregion (WTB) in far North Queensland, suggests a strong relationship between natural and cultural firing regimes over many millennia. The magnitude and frequency of fire represented in the charcoal chronology challenge previous arguments that rainforest experienced a reduction in firing through the Holocene. The results throw new light on the origin and continuation of isolated eucalypt forest pockets within Australia's tropical rainforest.

Raw materials are used to characterise the early settlement of Aotearoa Te Wai Pounamu New Zealand by Māori. Current models suggest change in raw material use over time occurred in response to changing social organisation and reduced resource availability. However, few studies have examined spatial variation in raw material use. Here we examine four basalt artefact assemblages from Ahuahu Great Mercury Island to examine potential spatial variation and test the assumption of a lack of material economising in the earliest occupation. We explore this through the concept of adze recycling. Results suggest conservative use of basalt from the earliest occupation on Ahuahu through the recycling of adzes, with differences in resource use among adjacent locations. We suggest basalt use may have involved the bulk procurement of stone resources, provisioning of place and the recycling of material.

Rings made on marine shell are a conspicuous artefact form found throughout cultural sequences for much of the Pacific over millennia. Despite their importance in both recent and ancient times, in-depth consideration of the manufacturing processes involved in shell ring production are limited. In this paper, we present for the first time, a detailed chaîne opératoire for Lapita period rings made from the nacreous shell, Rochia nilotica. Our examination of two large archaeological assemblages from Lapita period sites in Vanuatu and accompanying experimental replication of Rochia shell ring production provides key insights into what was an important social technology for Lapita and other communities across the Pacific. In broader context, previous research has highlighted the importance of understanding the selection, manufacture, and use of shell artefacts for elucidating a range of technological, economic, and social practices in both Oceania and beyond, and as such, this study works toward building a more robust appreciation of shell ornamentation globally.

This paper describes the Pacific Archaeology Radiocarbon Database (PARD), which includes radiocarbon data from archaeological sites excavated in an area commonly described as Near and Remote Oceania. The collated ¹⁴C database is available using ArcGIS Online, an online geospatial system with searchable fields and locational navigation. The online PARD currently has over 17,000 radiocarbon measurements from archaeological sites from over 300 islands in the Pacific. The database contains many inconsistencies reflecting the long history of radiocarbon dating in the Pacific and issues relating to date calculation, precision, contamination removal, in-built age, and contextual uncertainty. While ‘chronometric hygiene’ protocols have demonstrated the reasons for treating such radiocarbon ages with caution, the presence of these data can still provide important information. The location of early excavations, distribution of site types at certain broad time periods, and other such information are useful in providing frameworks for future research. The PARD is a valuable starting point for researchers and communities in the Pacific. It has the potential to assist researchers in coordinating site location data for excavations and promises to aid a more extensive investigation of key research themes. The accessibility of the data online allows stakeholders, particularly indigenous groups across the Pacific, to improve their access to and understanding of the value of archaeological research.

Cet article décrit la base de données radiocarbone archéologique du Pacifique (PARD), qui comprend des données radiocarbone provenant de sites archéologiques fouillés en Océanie proche et lointaine. La base de données ¹⁴C compilée est accessible via ArcGIS Online. La PARD en ligne contient actuellement plus de 17,000 mesures radiocarbone provenant de sites archéologiques de centaines d'îles du Pacifique La localisation de fouilles la répartition par types de site, grande période et autres fournissent un cadre utile pour de futures recherches. Les données de localisation de sites clés pourraient permettre de réalisation d’études plus approfondies.

Recent reports present evidence of Neanderthal introgression among all non-African human populations after 50 kya. Here we trace the implications of this claim for Sahul history. If correct, ancestral Sahul populations bearing Neanderthal DNA must have arrived after this date. Such data offer no support for a purported 65 kya human presence on the continent.

This paper examines ring trees—a type of culturally modified tree, intentionally created by Australian First Nations Aboriginal peoples by manipulating tree growth to form permanent loops (rings) within the structure. Historically, this site type has been underrepresented and underappreciated by academics and archaeologists. Investigations into ring trees, however, are vital for ensuring their recognition and protection, and can allow Aboriginal community members to (re)connect with traditions, culture and place. Drawing on collaborative research with Wiradjuri and Dharawal Knowledge Holders in southeastern Australia, we propose a methodological framework for identifying and recording ring trees that integrates scientific documentation with Aboriginal cultural knowledge. This paper presents an approach that others engaging with ring trees can take forward and apply to their own specific contexts and needs.

Woodblocks for printmaking are multi-perspectival communicators inscribed with layered narratives. The artistic process of cutting excavates the surface of a woodblock, making visible lesser-seen traces of the past, reflective of the practice of archaeology. Printmakers and carvers make arboreal alterations as they gouge into surfaces of woodblocks, modifying them for cultural and communicative purposes. These artefacts also retain more-than-human marks from burrowing, clawing and gnawing of insects, marsupials and birds. The printable visual narrative of a woodblock simultaneously uncovers the life of a tree as an arboreal being, revealing traces of growth and past alterations. The continuing substantive presence of a tree is made evident through woodgrain, visible within a woodblock, transferred via the corresponding print. Through collecting and printing discarded or broken wooden fragments, I explore creative processes to unearth past histories of salvaged woodblocks. The marks trace multiple narratives of the life of the woodblock, conveying the wear of time and connection to living trees. Investigating exploratory methods that bridge the tactile connectivity of the living tree with its remnants is a reparative action. Cutting, inking and printing subjectively connect fragments with life to inform an understanding of our arboreal ancestors through a material understanding of wood.

Culturally modified trees (CMTs) were once ubiquitous throughout the Australian landscape but they have been significantly affected by tree-clearing practices associated with pastoralism, residential expansion and forestry. These, in addition to effects of bushfires and floods have had a massive impact on the survival of both dead and living CMTs. Despite their past ubiquity and current threats, they are probably one of the most under-researched archaeological and cultural heritage site type. In recent years the diversity and significance of CMTs has gained prominence and their documentation is now a growing area of enquiry for archaeologists, cultural heritage specialists, artists and First Nations communities. This volume ‘Arboreal Alterations’ brings together papers examining recent research on CMTs from across Australia.