Dating of in situ longhouse (dubu daima) posts in the Kikori River delta: Refining chronologies of island village occupation in the lower Kikori River delta, Papua New Guinea

Abstract

This paper examines the chronologies of three abandoned village sites in an attempt to refine the timing of occupation of low-lying mud islands of the lower Kikori River delta, Gulf Province, Papua New Guinea (PNG). Despite evidence for varying degrees of post-depositional disturbance at all three sites, meaningful chronological data can be obtained from the dating of in situ longhouse posts. These new data suggest that although initial delta island occupation probably began around 400–500 years ago as an initial response to new opportunities relating to the hiri trade, the very large villages ethnohistorically recorded for the delta islands may only have attained their impressive sizes somewhat later.