Late Holocene interaction in the South-western Pacific: A view from the obsidian sources in Northern...
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ASIA 3050 / 6050 – World Heritage Asia Pacific Late Holocene interaction in the South-western Pacific: A view from the obsidian sources in Northern Vanuatu Christian Reepmeyer CAR seminar series – AUG 2012
Transcript of Late Holocene interaction in the South-western Pacific: A view from the obsidian sources in Northern...
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Late Holocene interaction in the South-western Pacific:A view from the obsidian sources in Northern Vanuatu
Christian Reepmeyer CAR seminar series – AUG 2012
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MapSummary statistics 21 assemblages included in the dataset2665 total artefacts2177 obsidian artefacts589 geochemical analyses
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Research aims
1. Identify obsidian sources in Northern Vanuatu and analyse the sources in the detail geochemically– Do more sub-sources exist than the two locations identified previously?
2. Identify the processes of social interaction in the Lapita and post-Lapita phase based on technological and geochemical analysis of flaked stone material– Are similarities and differences raw material dependent?
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3000 - 2900 BP
3400 BP
3200 - 3100 BP
Lapita expansion
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TransitionBedford and Spri ggs (200 8:107)
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Cultural diversification today
Bedford and Spriggs 2007, AP 47(1):95-120
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Obsidian sources in the West Pacific
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Obsidian distribution: 3000BP
2,400km
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Obsidian distribution: 2500BP
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Obsidian distribution: 2000BP
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Obsidian distribution: 800 - 1000BP
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Modelling cultural diversification
Intensity
End of obsidian exchangeinto central Vanuatu
Kutau/Bao exchange
Mopir and Fergussonexchange
Tikopia exchange
Banks Islands obsidian exchange
Cultural d
iversity
End of Lapita in centralVanuatu
Tikopia:Kiki-Sinapuputransition
Start of aceramic phase on
several islands
Tikopia:Sinapupu-Tuakamali
transition
Inter-island contact
BP
?
3200 2900 2600 2300 2000 1700 1500 1200 900 600 300
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Theoretical framework
Economic theory– Focus on structural aspects of exchange systems, such as the development of social hierarchies
Theoretical ecology– Adaptation to environmental forces, minimising ‘risk’ in relation to unpredictable resource availability
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Theory of ‘value’Mercantilist approach:
– Physical attributes of material defining value
Classical economic approach:– Labour embodied in material defining value
Neoclassical economic approach:– Resource scarcity in relation to demand defining value
Substantivist approach:– Social relations established by interaction defining value
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Review – theoretical approaches
Obsidian as a trade object / subsistence commodity:
•Lapita cultural complex as a trade system– Obsidian objects are specifically made for exchange – alienable goods
– Objects have to satisfy human needs making them desirable to acquire• Subsistence item – Luxury item
– Trade between people who are ethnically diverse and do not share the same cultural or economic background
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Review – theoretical approaches
Obsidian as a prestige object / ‘primitive valuable’:
•Lapita culture complex as a hierarchical system– Value of obsidian is defined through scarcity of detected obsidian deposits and the spatial extension of the Lapita exchange network
– Exchange of shell valuables are used as proxy for obsidian exchange – acquisition is related to institutions of power and status
– Transactors share social institutions and cultural background
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Review – theoretical approaches
Obsidian as a gift:
•Lapita cultural complex as connecting distant communities
– Derives from the initial interpretation of obsidian as a ‘prestige good’
– Focus on how the material flow underwrites or initiates social relations• Value not be measured through utility, energy investment or scarcity, but defined through its ability to make social relationships visible
– Obsidian is a symbol of exchange and not the item of exchange itself
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Review – theoretical approaches
Post-Lapita transformations:
•Continuation of exchange
•Break-down of exchange – disruption of hierarchical structure of society– not necessary to sustain individual communities
•‘Coloniser’ and ‘trader’ model
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Defining testable modelsDown-the-line exchange:
Regression formula for form and steepness of the fall-off curve outside the ‘supply zone’:
Log Y = a – bXα + e
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Defining testable modelsCentral place:
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Defining testable modelsRisk minimisation – commodity trade:
• Derives from the investigation of food sharing in the setting of small-scale societies
• Transactions are in tendency immediate
• Establishing relationships between objects and not between subjects
• Variance is substituted by the risk of resource failure
• Network activity should decrease in times of increased resource variabilityKaplan and Hill (1985:239, Fig.4)
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Defining testable modelsRisk minimisation – gift reciprocity:
• Concentrates on the development of social networks of obligations – debt economy
• Establishing relationships between subjects
• Networks support individuals of communities in times of crises
• Network activity increases during times of increased resource variability
Kaplan and Hill (1985:239, Fig.4)
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Results – WNB obsidianBest fit curve estimation for mean weight of artefacts
Model Summary
EquationR
Square F df1 Sig.Linear 0.774 13.727 1.000 0.021Logarithmic 0.663 7.883 1.000 0.048Quadratic 0.871 10.170 2.000 0.046Cubic 0.970 21.509 3.000 0.045
West New Britain – source location
Reef Santa Cruz islands
Vanuatu
New Caledonia
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Results – WNB obsidianPearson’s correlation for steepness of curve • Highest correlation
α = 0 and 0.4 < α < 0.6
• Obsidian is not a high valued commodity
• Obsidian as social marker showing group affiliation in an unknown territory?
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Results – BI obsidianMean weight of debitage per distance zone and time period
BI-1 BI-2 BI-3 WNB
LapitaPost-Lapita – 1000 BPPost 1000 BP
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Results – BI obsidianBest fit curve estimation for mean weight of artefacts
Equation
Model SummaryR
Square F df1 df2 Sig.
Linear 0.876 14.098
1.000
2.000 0.064
Logarithmic 0.899 17.88
51.00
02.00
0 0.052Quadratic 0.995 95.55
62.00
01.00
0 0.072
Cubic 0.995 95.556
2.000
1.000 0.072
Vanua Lava – source location
Banks Islands
Torres islands
Santa Cruz islands
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Results – BI obsidianPearson’s correlation for steepness of curve
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Ecological interpretations
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Conclusions1. For the long-distance transported material of Kutau/Bao, down-the-
line relaying has been identified as the most likely process of transportation.
2. Sites in Vanuatu had no contact with the source location in West New Britain, only with sites in the Reef Santa Cruz islands.
3. Banks islands obsidian transportation during Lapita times do not show distance decay, which might suggest ‘embedded procurement’ of raw material.
4. Economical interpretation of the value of obsidian suggest low use value.
5. Long distance transportation has to be associated with alternative ‘uses’ of the raw material, such as group affiliation.
6. In the latest phase Banks islands obsidian follows linear distance decay suggesting direct access of groups to the source location.
7. Correlated with postulates for the mitigation of ‘risk’ for the latest period, increase of interaction cannot be associated with ‘trade’.
8. Re-invention of obsidian as a symbol of communication?
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Acknowledgments
Gaua: Victor Lini
Ureparapara:Harrison
Mota Lava: Franklyn Woleg
Vanua Lava: Eli Field Malau
Vanuatu Fieldworkers
Funding agencies and international collaboratorsAustralian National UniversityAustralian Research CouncilANSTOVanuatu Kaljoral Senta, Port Vila
Supervisors and AdvisorsMatthew SpriggsStuart BedfordRobin TorrencePeter HiscockWal Ambrose
Colleagues and friendsGeoffrey Clark, Charlotte Allen, Frank Brink, Steve Eggins, Feli Hopf, Iona Flett, Alex Mackay, Mirani Litster, Anna Willis, and everybody else I forgot to mention
