Early and mid Holocene tool-use and processing of taro ( Colocasia esculenta), yam ( Dioscorea sp.) and other plants at Kuk Swamp in the highlands of Papua New Guinea

• Published in: Journal of archaeological science Vol. 33; no. 5; pp. 595 - 614
• Main Authors: Fullagar, Richard, Field, Judith, Denham, Tim, Lentfer, Carol
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Amsterdam Elsevier Ltd 01.05.2006; Elsevier Science
• Subjects: Australia and New-Guinea; Banana ( Musa spp.); Oceania; Phytoliths; Plant processing; Prehistory and protohistory; Residues; Starch grains; Taro ( Colocasia esculenta); Usewear; Yam ( Dioscorea sp.); Oceanian culture; New Guinea; Papua New Guinea; Oceania; Residues; Banana ( Musa spp.); Plant processing; Usewear; Starch grains; Yam ( Dioscorea sp.); Phytoliths; Taro ( Colocasia esculenta); Activity report; Food plant; Banana (Musa spp.); Lithic industry; Tools; Agriculture; Taro (Colocasia esculenta); Holocene; Yam (Dioscorea sp.); Tool

Recent multidisciplinary investigations document an independent emergence of agriculture at Kuk Swamp in the highlands of Papua New Guinea. In this paper we report preliminary usewear analysis and details of prehistoric use of stone tools for processing starchy food and other plants at Kuk Swamp. Mo...