Changing patterns of pottery trade to the Trobriand Islands

Abstract

Recently the traditional centres of pottery manufacture in the north–western Massim of southeast Papua were investigated and their contemporary ceramic styles and the techniques of manufacture were described. Such centres exist on north–west Goodenough Island, on four islands of the Amphlett Group, and in Miadeba on Normanby Island. It was found that not only had today's pottery trading routes changed considerably from those which had existed near the beginning of this century, but that stylistic changes in this pottery had also occurred. By making surface collections the stylistic development of this pottery was traced through a succession of former settlement sites belonging to the ancestors of the contemporary potters. With this knowledge of contemporary and historic pottery styles from these centres of manufacture, archaeologically recovered sherd material collected on the Trobriand Islands, a place where pottery had always been imported, could be interpreted. This study revealed the changing patterns of pottery trade to the Trobriand Islands and forms the basis of discussion in this article.