The roots of agriculture and arboriculture in New Guinea: Looking beyond Austronesian expansion, Neolithic packages and indigenous origins

Tim Denham*

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalReview articlepeer-review

43 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Agriculture and arboriculture in New Guinea, like many other aspects of material culture, are often characterized as either introduced by Austronesian language-speakers in the mid-Holocene or as earlier and independent developments by pre-existing Papuan language-speakers. I raise concerns with both interpretative tendencies, which have often yielded superficial regional histories that provide one-dimensional impressions of people, practices and places in the past. Drawing on my own archaeological research into early agriculture and arboriculture, I illustrate alternative possibilities for historical interpretation that do not over-emphasize the pre-Lapita isolation of New Guinea, but instead focus on regional interactions and mutual transformations of practice before, during and after the presumed arrival of Austronesian language-speakers in the region.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)610-620
Number of pages11
JournalWorld Archaeology
Volume36
Issue number4
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Dec 2004
Externally publishedYes

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'The roots of agriculture and arboriculture in New Guinea: Looking beyond Austronesian expansion, Neolithic packages and indigenous origins'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this