A short note on banana (Musa) phytoliths in Lapita, immediately post-Lapita and modern period archaeological deposits from Vanuatu

Horrocks, Mark; Bedford, Stuart; Spriggs, Matthew

doi:10.1016/j.jas.2009.05.024

Cited by 52 publications

(37 citation statements)

References 28 publications

(44 reference statements)

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“…Recently, micro-fossil evidence of food crops including aroids, yam and banana has been reported for early Lapita sites in Northern Vanuatu Bedford 2004, 2010;Horrocks et al 2009). Although, as Buckley et al comment, 'it remains to be fully understood how just successful these initial communities were at establishing horticultural and aboricultural crops ' (2014: 82), this is direct evidence of early horticulture.…”

Section: Scarcity Of Direct Evidence For Horticulture In the Archaeolmentioning

confidence: 99%

Were the First Lapita Colonisers of Remote Oceania Farmers as Well as Foragers?

Pawley¹

2017

New Perspectives in Southeast Asian and Pacific Prehistory

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Section: Scarcity Of Direct Evidence For Horticulture In the Archaeolmentioning

confidence: 99%

Were the First Lapita Colonisers of Remote Oceania Farmers as Well as Foragers?

Pawley¹

2017

New Perspectives in Southeast Asian and Pacific Prehistory

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“…Whether these were of introduced taxa is uncertain because the identification of starch grains, found on stone tools and pots from archaeological deposits in Vanuatu (Horrocks and Bedford 2005;Horrocks et al 2009), is open to question on several methodological grounds (e.g. Hardy et al 2009;Wilson et al 2010).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Taking the High Ground: The archaeology of Rapa, a fortified island in remote East Polynesia (Terra Australis 37)

Anderson¹,

Kennett²

2012

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terra australis 37Terra Australis reports the results of archaeological and related research within the south and east of Asia, though mainly Australia, New Guinea and island Melanesia -lands that remained terra australis incognita to generations of prehistorians. Its subject is the settlement of the diverse environments in this isolated quarter of the globe by peoples who have maintained their discrete and traditional ways of life into the recent recorded or remembered past and at times into the observable present. Copyright of the text remains with the contributors/authors, 2011. This book is copyright in all countries subscribing to the Berne convention. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study, research, criticism or review, as permitted under the Copyright Act, no part may be reproduced by any process without written permission. Inquiries should be made to the publisher. List of volumes in Terra AustralisVolume IntroductionThis volume describes the results of archaeological and related research on Rapa Island, which lies at the southern extremity of French Polynesia. Notable for its numerous fortified sites atop the peaks of a spectacular volcanic landscape, Rapa has remained nonetheless an enigma in Polynesian prehistory. It has been linked, on the one hand, with its more famous and nearnamesake Rapa Nui (Easter Island), in hypotheses of Amerindian migration and the dire impacts of deforestation and societal isolation, and, on the other hand, with settlement and fort construction in the similarly cool and remote nearest neighbour to the southwest, New Zealand. Our project set out to construct a cultural sequence and palaeoenvironmental context so that consideration of such issues might profit from the existence of a more diverse and comprehensive database. Rapa Island is located in a remote position at 27 0 35S, 144 0 20W, in the subtropical South Pacific Ocean (Figure 1.1). In the form of a horseshoe, which reflects its origin as a breached caldera, Rapa has 38 km 2 of land area and, lacking any barrier or fringing reef, its outer coast rises abruptly out of the sea towards jagged peaks, products of erosion around the caldera rim (Figure 1.2), the highest of which is Mont Perau, at 650 m;Where the steep sides of the jagged peaks reach the coast they form great cliffs falling vertically to the sea. The coast is bold with deep caves worn in it by the sea. Except around the bays in the coast, which have sandy beaches at their heads, the island is inaccessible. (Haslam 1982:83) terra australis 37 Archaeological research on Rapa Island, French Polynesia 9 terra australis 37Topographically, the redeeming feature of Rapa for human habitation is its large, protected harbour with relatively extensive low and fertile ground at its head (Figure 1.3). The harbour was called Aurai in the 1820s (Chapter 2) and it has been called Ha'urei or Ahurei since the 1940s at least (Naval Intelligence Division 1943:253). However, Stokes (n.d.) called it 'Tairirau' and on an early map published by Hall (1...

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“…Microfossils of introduced cultigens (outside their natural range) have recently been identified in Lapita and subsequent prehistoric era deposits at sites in Vanuatu (non-Colocasia Araceae starch/raphides and Musa phytoliths) (Horrocks & Bedford 2005;Horrocks et al 2009). Archaeological evidence of the Lapita Cultural Complex has been found from Western Island Melanesia (Â3300 cal.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Apart from sandy beaches on the western coasts facing Malekula, the islands are fringed by coral reefs. Details of the geology and geomorphology of Vao are given in Bedford (2006Bedford ( , 2007 and Horrocks et al (2009).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%