Pleistocene colonisation of the Bismarck Archipelago

New evidence from West New Britain

Datos Bibliográficos

ID6038273
AutoresRobin Torrence (0000-0001-8519-2395, Anthropology The Australian Museum 6 College Street Sydney NSW 2010 Australia), Vince Neall (Institute of Natural Resources, Soil and Earth Sciences Massey University Private Bag 11 222 Palmerston North New Zealand), Trudy Doelman (Archaeology University of Sydney Sydney NSW 2006 Australia), Ed Rhodes (Research School of Earth Sciences and Research School of Pacific and Asian Studies The Australian National University Canberra ACT 0200 Australia), Chris Mckee (0000-0001-8107-7023, Geophysical Observatory P.O. Box 232 Port Moresby NCD Papua New Guinea), Hugh Davies (0000-0003-3060-166X, Department of Geology P.O. Box 320, University NCD Papua New Guinea), R Davies (0000-0002-6693-9331, University of Papua New Guinea), Roberto Bonetti (Istituto di Fisica Generale Applicata Universita di Milano Via Celoria 16 20133 Milano Italy), A Guglielmetti (0000-0002-6008-1629, University of Milan), Alberto Manzoni (0000-0002-1315-5373, Istituto di Fisica Generale Applicata Universita di Milano Via Celoria 16 20133 Milano Italy), M Oddone (0000-0003-3580-4925, University of Pavia), Jeff Parr (Centre for Geoarchaeology and Paleoenvironmental Research Southern Cross University P.O. Box 157 Lismore NSW Australia), Cleland Wallace (Institute of Natural Resources, Soil and Earth Sciences Massey University Private Bag 11 222 Palmerston North New Zealand), Cleland R Wallace (Massey University)
Año2004
Volumen39
Número3
Páginas101-130
Fecha de publicación2004-10-01
Peer ReviewedSí
Open AccessSí
TipoARTICLE
RevistaArchaeology in Oceania/Archæology & physical anthropology in Oceania (JOURNAL)
Identificadores de la revistaISSN: 0728-4896 • E-ISSN: 1834-4453
EditorialWiley (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1002/j.1834-4453.2004.tb00568.x
OpenAlexW2083645390
IdiomaEN
Citas recibidas42
Referencias citadas31

The geological and archaeological signatures at the site of Kupona na Dari on the Willaumez Peninsula, West New Britain provide important new data about human colonisation of the Bismarck Archipelago. Analyses of the stratigraphy and weathering of paleosols and manuports, when combined with fission track, radiocarbon, and luminescence dating, indicate that the site was first occupied at about 35–45,000 years ago. During the whole period of occupation, people were exposed to a series of volcanic events which varied in terms of their potential impacts on the local environment. A PIXE‐PIGME characterisation study of the obsidian artefacts at the site demonstrates that from the earliest period stone resources were acquired from outcrops located across a relatively large region. When compared with Early‐Middle Holocene assemblages from nearby localities, the Pleistocene stone tool technology differs in only a few minor respects. From this analysis we infer that groups were mobile in both periods, but slightly different strategies for the procurement and maintenance of the stone tools were required for the more extensive ranges exploited during the Pleistocene. The inter‐disciplinary study of Kupona na Dari concludes that colonisation comprised a long term process of settling into this volcanically active environment. Due to variability in the environments that people encountered, the pattern of colonisation may not have been similar across the entire Bismarck Archipelago

Archaeology · Archipelago · Colonisation · Colonization · Geography · Holocene · Outcrop · Peninsula · Period (music · Physical geography · Pleistocene · Radiocarbon dating · Volcano · Geology and Paleoclimatology Research · Pacific and Southeast Asian Studies · Pleistocene-Era Hominins and Archaeology · Geology · Paleontology