The Archaeology of Tanamu 1: A Pre-Lapita to Post-Lapita Site from Caution Bay, South Coast of Mainland Papua New Guinea

Description

The Archaeology of Tanamu 1 presents the results from Tanamu 1, the first site to be published in detail in the Caution Bay Studies in Archaeology series. In 2008-2010, the Caution Bay Archaeological Project excavated 122 stratified sites 20km northwest of Port Moresby, south coast of Papua New Guinea. This remains the largest archaeological salvage program ever undertaken in the country. Yielding well-provenanced and finely dated assemblages of ceramics, faunal remains, and stone and shell artefacts, this remarkable set of sites has extended the geographical range of the Lapita cultural complex to not only the mainland of Papua New Guinea, but more remarkably to its south coast, at Australia's doorstep. At least as important has been the discovery of rich and well-defined layers deposited up to c. 1700 years before the emergence of Lapita in the Bismarck Archipelago, providing insights into pre-ceramic cultural practices on the Papua New Guinea south coast. Sites and layers interdigitate across the Caution Bay landscape to reveal a 5000-year story, each site contributing unique details of the grander narrative. Positioned near the coast on a sand ridge, Tanamu 1 contains three clear occupational layers: a pre-Lapita horizon (c. 4050-5000 cal BP), a Late Lapita horizon (c. 2750-2800 cal BP), and sparser later materials capped by a dense ethnohistoric layer deposited in the past 100-200 years. Fine-grained excavation methods, detailed specialist analyses and a robust chronostratigraphy allows for a full and transparent presentation of data to start laying the building blocks for the Caution Bay story. Cover Title Page Copyright page Contents Page List of Figures Figure 1.1. Location of Caution Bay showing previously excavated sites in the broader Port Moresby region. Figure 1.2. Location of Tanamu 1 and other excavated sites mentioned in the text relative to marine and terrestrial environmental zones. Figure 1.3. Location of Tanamu 1 and other nearby excavated sites mentioned in this volume. Figure 1.4. Tanamu 2 looking inland towards the hills, excavations in progress 28 November 2009 to provide a visual idea of environmental setting. Figure 1.5. Oblique landscape view of the relationship between Bogi 1 and Tanamu 1, 2 and 3 in their environmental setting. Image sourced from Google Earth. Figure 1.6. Style H ceramics from Nebira 4 (after Allen 1972: figure 7). Figure 1.7. Examples of shell impressed sherds from Oposisi, Yule Island (A–E) and Caution Bay (F–K). Figure 1.8. Bogi 1 Square K XU13 sherd #1. Figure 1.9. Non-Motu pottery of industry B5 from Port Moresby surface sites (after Bulmer 1969: figure 4). Figure 2.1. Tanamu 1 excavation in progress. Figure 2.2. Mudflats and mangroves to the immediate southwest of Tanamu 1 at low tide. Figure 2.3. Mudflats and mangroves to the immediate southwest of Tanamu 1 at high tide. Figure 2.4. Tanamu 1 site map showing location of excavation trench. Contours in 10cm intervals. Figure 2.5. Plan of Tanamu 1 trench showing location of each excavation square. Figure 2.6. Laying out of Tanamu 1 Squares A and B excavation trench showing low density of surface cultural materials. Figure 2.7. Squares A and B and inner stepping-out squares, early stages of excavation in progress (photograph facing southwest). Figure 2.8. Details of XUs, Tanamu 1 Square A. Figure 2.9. Details of XUs, Tanamu 1 Square B. Figure 2.10. Excavation of the outer stepping-out squares in progress, Tanamu 1. Figure 2.11. Removing shoring after excavation of the outer ring of excavation squares, Tanamu 1. The central trench (Squares A and B, bottom-right of photo) is covered by a wooden lid. Figure 2.12. Re-stringing Squares A and B to continue excavation after removal of shoring of the outer stepping-out squares, Tanamu 1. Figure 2.13. Details of XUs, Tanamu 1 stepping-out squares. Elevations were taken with automatic levels to 1mm precision, except for XU1 of the outer ring Squares M–AD which were calculated by tape measure. Figure 2.14. Section drawing, Tanamu 1 Squares A and B. The XU lines were plotted from the elevation readings. Figure 2.15. Excavation in progress within the dense Upper Horizon of SU1, Square B after excavation of XU4. The pink stringline marks the south side. Figure 2.16. Excavation in progress in Square B (after completion of XU22) showing the localised concentration of cultural materials (the Upper Horizon of SU1) a short distance below the present-day surface (top of photo). The culturally-poor sediments be Figure 2.17. Excavation in progress within the dense Middle Horizon of SU3 (Lapita horizon), Square A after excavation of XU29. Figure 2.18. Excavation in progress in the culturally-sparse SU4 below the Middle Horizon, Square A after completion of XU41. The distinctive localised white band of SU1a is clearly visible in the upper part of the excavation pit’s back wall, as are the l Figure 2.19. Excavation in progress within the dense Lower Horizon of SU5 (pre-ceramic horizon), Squares A and B after excavation of XU66. Figure 2.20. Excavation in progress in SU6 immediately below the Lower Horizon, Squares A and B after excavation of XU77. Figure 2.21. Excavation after completion of XU94 (mid-levels of SU6) in Squares A and B, showing diffuse charcoal-rich patches on the north wall. Figure 2.22. Stratigraphic Units, Tanamu 1. Figure 2.23. Radiocarbon determinations, Tanamu 1. Figure 2.24. General list of excavated materials by XU, Tanamu 1 Square A. Figure 2.25. General list of excavated materials by XU, Tanamu 1 Square B. Figure 2.26. Distribution of cultural materials by XU, Tanamu 1 Squares A (top) and B (bottom). Figure 3.1. Summary data on pottery sherds by XU, Tanamu 1 Square A. Figure 3.3. Summary data for the sherds from the stepping-out squares. Figure 3.4. Number of sherds per XU, shown by depth of each XU, Squares A and B. A: By number; B: By weight. The two orange horizons on the left-hand side represent the depth of the Upper and Middle Horizons in Square A, and on the right-hand side those o Figure 3.5. Fragmentation of sherds in Squares A and B. A: Average weight of sherds by XU; B: % of sherds ≥3.0cm long, by XU. The two orange horizons on the left-hand side represent the depth of the Upper and Middle Horizons in Square A, and on the right- Figure 3.6. Comb dentate-impressed sherds. A: Square A XU16