article
Prehistoric garden terraces in the eastern highlands of Papua New Guinea
Tools & tillage • 5 (4) • Published In 1987 • Pages: 199-213, 260
By: Sullivan, M. E., Hughes, P. J., Golson, Jack.
AbstractBrief abstract written by HRAF anthropologists who have done the subject indexing for the document
Sullivan et al. examined terraces that had been previously thought to have formed naturally. The authors' examination, which included archaelogical excavation, proved these terraces to be cultural; probably made for agricultural purposes. Soil development indicates these terraces may be thousands of years old. They were probably used to grow taro and abandoned after the introduction of the sweet potato. Archaeological sites were found associated with some of the terraces. These sites have been interpreted as "short term occupation locations where food was cooked, and where the maintenance of wooden artifacts associated with gardening activites was carried out." The reasons for the abandonment of the terraces are probably complicated and will require further research.
- SubjectsDocument-level OCM identifiers given by the anthropology subject indexers at HRAF
- Theoretical orientation in research and its results
- Topography and geology
- Post depositional processes in archaeological sites
- Cultural participation
- Tillage
- Cultural stratigraphy
- traditionCulture name from the Outline of World Cultures (OWC)
- New Guinea Neolithic
- HRAF PubDateThe date HRAF published the document
- 2000
- RegionThe area the document pertains to
- Oceania
- Sub RegionThe more specific area the document pertains to, which is located within the Region
- Melanesia
- Document TypeMay include journal articles, essays, collections of essays, monographs, or chapters/parts of monographs
- article
- Evaluation
- Creator TypeThe type of person writing the document, e.g. Ethnographer, Missionary, Archaeologist, Folklorist, Linguist, Indigenous Person, and so on.
- Archaeologist
- Document Rating A ranking done by HRAF anthropologists based on the strength of the source material on a scale of 1 to 5, as follows: 1 - poor; 2 - fair; 3 - good, useful data, but not uniformly excellent; 4 - excellent secondary data; 5 - excellent primary data.
- 4: Excellent Secondary Data
- 5: Excellent Primary Data
- AnalystThe HRAF anthropologist who subject indexed the document and prepared other materials for the eHRAF culture/tradition collection
- Sarah Berry; 1999
- Field DateThe date the researcher conducted the fieldwork or archival research that produced the document
- 1984, 1985
- Coverage DateThe date or dates that the information in the document pertains to
- 10,000 BP - 100 BP
- Coverage PlaceLocation of the research culture or tradition (often a smaller unit such as a band, community, or archaeological site)
- Yonki region; Eastern Highlands Province, Papua New Guinea
- NotesAdditional notes
- By M. E. Sullivan, P. J. Hughes and J. Golson
- Includes bibliographical references (p. 260)
- LCCNLibrary of Congress Control Number
- 74017794
- LCSHLibrary of Congress Subject Headings
- Papua New Guinea Antiquities