Australian Museum Journal Stone mortar and pestle distribution in New Britain revisited. In A Pacific Odyssey: Archaeology and Anthropology in the Western Pacific. Papers in Honour of Jim Specht
- Shortform:
- Swadling, 2004, Rec. Aust. Mus., Suppl. 29: 157–161
- Author(s):
- Swadling, Pamela
- Year published:
- 2004
- Title:
- Stone mortar and pestle distribution in New Britain revisited. In A Pacific Odyssey: Archaeology and Anthropology in the Western Pacific. Papers in Honour of Jim Specht
- Serial title:
- Records of the Australian Museum, Supplement
- Volume:
- 29
- Start page:
- 157
- End page:
- 161
- DOI:
- 10.3853/j.0812-7387.29.2004.1412
- Language:
- English
- Date published:
- 19 May 2004
- Cover date:
- 19 May 2004
- ISBN:
- ISBN 0-9750476-2-0 (printed), ISBN 0-9750476-3-9 (online)
- ISSN:
- 0812-7387
- CODEN:
- RAMSEZ
- Publisher:
- The Australian Museum
- Place published:
- Sydney, Australia
- Subjects:
- ANTHROPOLOGY; NEW BRITAIN
- Digitized:
- 19 May 2004
- Available online:
- 19 May 2004
- Reference number:
- 1412
- EndNote package:
- EndNote file
- Title page:
- Title page (12kb PDF)
- Complete work:
- Complete work (209kb PDF)
Abstract
This is the first of a series of regional studies on the distribution of stone mortars and pestles in Papua New Guinea (PNG). The pan distribution of these artefacts in New Britain, in conjunction with preliminary results from other parts of PNG, supports the view that there is a positive correlation in the distribution of stone mortars and pestles and taro cultivation. This result raises the possibility that these artefacts provide a signature of where people were growing taro in PNG from about 7,000 to 3,500 years ago.