Hafted stone tools in the Asia Pacific region

Abstract

Hafted stone tools fell into disuse in the Pacific region in the 19th and 20th centuries. Before this occurred, examples of tools were collected by early travelers, explorers and tourists, which now reside in ethnographic collections around the world. Together, these objects make up a remarkable record of vanished traditions. In this chapter I assemble the most extensive survey of these tools to date. I discuss their distributions and how these relate to lifeways and cultural histories. In highland New Guinea I show how hafted stone tool forms trace three waves of agricultural innovation. I also show how convergent evolution has shaped similar tool types in the Asia Pacific region and the European Neolithic.