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Obsidian Trade and Exchange in MelanesiaR. TorrenceGeochemical analyses of obsidian using PIXE-PIGME at ANSTO, Lucas Heights, has enabled the study of prehistoric trading patterns in Melanesia. Recent research has focussed on the production and trade of obsidian artefacts on Garua Island and the nearby mainland of West New Britain. A recent result is that probable status items, stemmed tools used between ca 10,000 and 3,500 BP, were made by specialist artisans using raw material imported to Garua Island from a number of raw material sources. These artefacts represent the earliest evidence for the marking of differential status in this region. Changes in source use, which correlate with major volcanic eruptions and the redistribution of human populations in the region, are under investigation. A new focus on obsidian from Pleistocene contexts has revealed that major changes in source use occurred after 10,000 BP.
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Copyright © Australian Museum, 2002 |
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