Archaeological Studies of the Middle and Late Holocene, Papua New Guinea. Part IV. Pottery of the Talasea Area, West New Britain Province
Abstract
Pottery has been found at many locations in the Talasea area of Willaumez Peninsula of West New Britain Province in Papua New Guinea. Most of the pottery belongs to the Lapita ceramic series, and there are only three cases where the pottery represents recent trade wares. The find-spots are situated at beach level and on hills and ridges. Coastal changes caused by tectonic activity and other natural events during the late Holocene, together with human activities, have severely affected many localities. The main pottery sequence is bracketed by the W-K2 and W-K3 tephras. It probably began c. 3370–3140 cal. bp and ended during the period c. 2350–1850 cal. bp. Most pottery was locally produced, though several exotic sherds indicate links with the south coast of New Br…itain. Early sites are located on islands as well as the mainland. Boduna Island might have been used for special, perhaps ritual, activities. After the W-K3 tephra, pottery was not used again in the Talasea area until the last few hundred years, when trade wares were imported from the New Guinea mainland.
