Prehistoric and modern pottery industries of Buka Island, T.P.N.G.
Date
1969
Authors
Specht, Jim Richard
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Abstract
Buka Island lies in the Bougainville District of' the Territory of PaPua and New Guinea. In 1967 the author carried out an archaeological. survey of south-east Buka and excavated on two major sites on Sohano Island and at Haugan Village on Buka. These excavations and surface Collections produced collections of pottery hitherto undescribed. To describe and analyse the pottery a descriptive code has been devised. By this code each rim shard is described in terms of its constituent features. To study the development of pottery-making on Buka and Sohano, attribute frequencies have been compiled for each time unit revealed
by the excavations. Variations in these frequencies interpreted as reflecting changes of 0erainic style through
time. On the most important attribute classes is that of paste, and eight major and minor paste categories have
been established. Most of these divisions have been validated by petrological examination. Pastes, like styles, are shown to have temporal significance.
From the excavations and surface collections, a sequence of six ceramic styles; constituting three ceramic traditions, is outlined. The modern industry is viewed as the terminal. point for the final style. this industry today is given in chapter x.
The external parallels indicated in chapter XI show links between Buka and ceramics of various dates throughout Melanesia and licronesia. The most important is with the New Hebrides at about A.D. 4oo At a later date, around A.D. 1000-1200, a very distinctive ceramic suddenly appears
For the first time appears the lipped bowl made today.
The non-ceramic artefacts are described and discussed. The most important are three fragments of trolling-hooks,
dated to between A.D. 100-500 These have close, but undated; Macronesian parallels. At A.D.1000-1200, with the appearance of the very distinctive pottery, were found
many tools for pounding and grinding From then onwards all modern artefact forms are present. The economic aspects are created briefly. They indicate exploitation of land and sea resources, though
too few materials were found for a thorough examination of the total economy throughout the sequence. The significance of trade in foodstuffs is examined. In the final chapter a culture sequence for the Buka area is proposed:
a) initial settlement by people who contributed nothing to the development of Buka. society (b) settlement around 250 B.C.by people who appear to have been the first to introduce elements of modern Buka material. cu1ture
From then on, developments within and introductions from beyond Buka. have contributed towards the emergence of Buka.
society as known today.Around A.D. 1000-1200 a new group of people arrived, bringing further elements of modern
society. Some of these are interpreted as reflecting the development of the social system. In conclusion, some of the Melanesia-wide implications of the Buka. data are examined. Too little research elsewhere, and lack of published data prevent a fu11 assessment.
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Thesis (PhD)