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Published (Version of record)CC BY-NC-ND V4.0, Open Access
Published (Version of record)CC BY-NC-ND V4.0, Open
Journal article
Marine shell from Walufeni Cave and the origins of the Kasua: Implications for Late Holocene socio-cultural interaction on the Great Papuan Plateau, Papua New Guinea
Australian archaeology, Vol.91, pp.1-196
21/08/2025
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Abstract
This paper presents new radiocarbon dates for the presence of marine shell at Walufeni Cave, dating from 3,250cal BP. Walufeni Cave is located at the eastern end of the Great Papuan Plateau, Papua New Guinea, approximately 200km in a straight line from the southern coast, thus the presence of marine shell here has significant implications for understanding changes in regional social dynamics during the Late Holocene. It is posited that the sudden appearance of marine shell at this time is linked to the spread of Austronesian influences along the southern coast of Papua New Guinea and Torres Strait—characterised by McNiven as the
Coral Sea Cultural Interaction Sphere (CSCIS). Although largely modelled as a maritime system, we argue here that the CSCIS is linked to the movement of people and riverine exchange systems extending far into the interior.
Details
- Title
- Marine shell from Walufeni Cave and the origins of the Kasua: Implications for Late Holocene socio-cultural interaction on the Great Papuan Plateau, Papua New Guinea
- Creators
- Bryce Barker - University of Southern QueenslandLara Lamb - University of Southern QueenslandTeppsy Beni - University of Southern QueenslandMatthew Leavesley - University of Papua New GuineaTiina Manne - The University of QueenslandMaxime Aubert - Griffith University
- Publication Details
- Australian archaeology, Vol.91, pp.1-196
- Publisher
- Taylor & Francis
- Grant note
- This research was supported by an Australian Research Council Discovery Grant (DP190100159).
- Identifiers
- 991013310026702368
- Copyright
- © 2025 the Author(s).
- Academic Unit
- Faculty of Science and Engineering
- Language
- English
- Resource Type
- Journal article