Diversity in Early New Guinea Pottery Traditions: north coast ceramics from Lachitu, Taora, Watinglo and Paleflatu

Abstract

The initial appearance of pottery on New Guinea has been an elusive and sometimes controversial topic. A range of factors contribute to this conundrum including landscape transformation and disturbance where relevant archaeology may be undetectable or misinterpreted, along with a lack of sound, site-specific evidence and comparative analysis. Moreover, the preeminence of the Lapita pottery sequence has set regional expectations and perceptions concerning early pottery on New Guinea, which can substantively affect the interpretations of local evidence, sometimes resulting in scanty finds being interpreted on a priori conceptual grounds. Presented here is a description of hitherto unreported pottery recovered in 2004-05 from the Papua New Guinea (PNG) north coast sites of Lachitu, Taora, Watinglo and Paleflatu. Pottery from Lachitu and Taora was previously claimed as among the earliest in New Guinea. However, the dating results presented in this study suggest a late Holocene and broad context for the introduction and manufacture of pottery, with a variety of diagnostic attributes pointing to regional uniqueness, implying a complex involvement of diverse peoples.