Tropical Foodways and Exchange along the Coastal Margin of Northeastern New Guinea

ABSTRACT

New Guinea was host to some of the most complex maritime interaction networks in the tropics. We take a multi-proxy approach to investigate the foodways at the heart of the extensive Madang exchange network in the last millennium before the present: 1) invertebrate zooarchaeological analysis identifies the dependence on shellfish collecting from the coral reef and sandy floor littoral zone; 2) examination of vertebrate remains demonstrates the rearing and consumption of key domesticated animals (pigs and perhaps dogs), alongside reef fish, birds, and possibly snakes; 3) human dental calculus analysis distinguishes that marine plants, palm, betelnut, and probably banana were consumed; 4) pottery residue analysis suggests that a variety of starchy crops were being cooked in locally made ceramics. We use this information to develop interpretations about the nature of land-use, mobility, and exchange along New Guinea’s coastal fringe, as well as how foodways have transformed throughout the Late Holocene.

KEYWORDS:

• dental calculus analysis
• starch analysis
• pottery residue
• zooarchaeology
• Madang
• Pacific

Acknowledgements

In PNG, we thank Georgia Kaipu from the National Research Institute, along with the National Museum and Art Gallery of Papua New Guinea. Plant reference samples were obtained from the ANU Doug Yen and Thomas Loy collection and the Australian Museum collection, and we are grateful to Michael Lovave from the Papua New Guinea Forestry Research Institute who provided additional plant samples. In Madang, we thank the Madang Provincial Government, the Madang Museum, and the community at Malmal—particularly Joseph Barem, along with Elias, Fili, and Eddie, who assisted with excavations. We especially thank Sir Peter Barter for his support in transport and accommodation, without whom the research would not be possible. The fieldwork was carried out along with Teppsy Beni and Affrica Cook, and we acknowledge Mary Mennis for her assistance in the field and ongoing commitment to PNG history. The fieldwork was funded by an Otago University Research Grant awarded to G. R. S. for the project “Archaeological investigations along the Madang Coast and Bilbil Island, Papua New Guinea.” Thanks also go to numerous students at the University of Otago for sorting and cataloguing midden material: Laura Lawson, Greg Hil, Evan Morcom, Georgia Kirby, Rebecca Adam, Jamie Hearfield, Merryn Chynoweth, Lucy Northwood, Emma Morris, Teina Tutaki, and Rhian Gaffney. Lastly, we thank two anonymous reviewers for their insightful feedback and Christina Luke, Tara Ingman, and Karen Stewart for their editorial comments.

Notes on Contributors

Dylan Gaffney (M.A. 2017, University of Otago) is a Ph.D. student in the Department of Archaeology, University of Cambridge. His current research is focused on the nature of human settlement and migration in the Raja Ampat Islands of West Papua.

Karen Greig (Ph.D. 2017, University of Otago) is Co-Director of Southern Pacific Archaeological Research, University of Otago. She is an expert in Pacific zooarchaeology with a special focus on aDNA and molecular analyses of domestic species.

Debbie Stoddart (B.A. Hons 2004, Massey University) is an M.A. student in the School of Social Science at the University of Otago investigating the social transmission of Polynesian mythology. She also has expertise in Pacific invertebrate zooarchaeology.

Monica Tromp (Ph.D. 2017, University of Otago) is Senior Laboratory Analyst at Southern Pacific Archaeological Research and an Affiliate Researcher in the Department of Anatomy, University of Otago. She is an expert in dental calculus analysis throughout the Pacific and globally.

Judith Field (Ph.D. 1996, University of New South Wales) is an Honorary Associate Professor in the School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales. Her research has shed light on megafaunal extinctions in Sahul from investigations at the Cuddie Springs site, plant food processing in Australia, and the highlands of New Guinea. Her current research interests are the settlement histories and history of plant use in the New Guinea Highlands and northern Australia.

Sindy Luu (M.Sc. 2014, University of New South Wales) is a Ph.D. student in the Archaeology Programme, School of Social Science, and the Department of Anatomy, University of Otago. Her research has focused on ancient starch analysis from the New Guinea Highlands and aDNA analysis of fauna from the circum-New Guinea region.

Adelle Coster (Ph.D. 1998, University of New South Wales) is an applied mathematician in the School of Mathematics and Statistics, University of New South Wales. Her research applies mathematical techniques from dynamic systems analysis, stochastic modelling, and queueing theory to investigate real-world problems. In archaeology, she has developed algorithms to identify ancient starch grains using geometric morphometric analyses.

Tristan Russell (M.A. 2016, University of Otago) is a field archaeologist at Southern Pacific Archaeological Research, University of Otago. He is a specialist in vertebrate zooarchaeology of the Pacific Islands, especially New Zealand.

Herman Mandui (B.A. Hons 1992, University of Papua New Guinea) was formerly Deputy Director of the National Museum and Art Gallery of Papua New Guinea. He was an expert in the archaeology and cultural heritage of Papua New Guinea.

Glenn R. Summerhayes (Ph.D. 1996, La Trobe University) holds the Professorial Chair in Anthropology at the University of Otago. He specializes in Pacific archaeology with a particular focus on New Guinea.