Abstract
ABSTRACTThis paper describes a ceramic assemblage from a Post‐Lapita site on Tetepare, a geologically distinct island on the periphery of the New Georgia group, Solomon Islands. Previous studies of ceramic assemblages in the region have found evidence of exotic sherds and patterns of pottery transfer indicating population mobility during a colonisation phase establishment of new communities in coastal lagoon settings. Here, a geochemical and petrographic comparison of the Tetepare assemblage to samples from similarly‐aged sites in nearby Roviana Lagoon and Kolombangara establishes a pattern of predominantly local production, with equivocal support for exotic transfers. This leads us to refine a model of increasing environmental knowledge, access and social connectivity, during the early phase dispersal of ceramic technologies into the region. We argue that our results clearly discriminate the Tetepare sherds from other assemblages and connect this observation to inferences about the variable character of regional interaction patterns. In addition, the environmental setting of the Tetepare site supplies further context for assessing the role of post‐depositional taphonomic processes and sea‐level change in structuring the visibility of intertidal pottery assemblages in the region.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
