Abstract
This is a preliminary excavation report on the Kasasinabwana shell midden of Wari Island. We seek to establish a chronological history of prehistoric ceramics in southern Massim in order to assess Geoffrey Irwin’s colonization hypothesis regarding the Early Papuan Pottery (EPP) period. An analysis of ceramics, other tools and faunal remains has allowed the definition of three ceramic periods, corresponding physically to Upper, Middle and Lower layers, in the inhabited history of the site. In the Upper Layers, which make up the main deposit of the site, links to the ethnographic Kula or Kune are indicated by imported pottery and certain types of shellfish. During this period, the intensive use and discarding of shellfish made the site a shell midden. The earlier era (1600–2300 cal BP) corresponding to the Middle Layers contains red-slipped and related types of pottery. The Lower Layers contain much older pottery, referred to here as Kasasinabwana Plain Pottery (KPP). The dates of these layers are 2300–2600, 2600–2800 cal BP, and the KPP may provide evidence of an earlier colonization other than that of the EPP. This research reveals Post-Lapita variability in western Melanesia and allows for revision of previous colonization theories. Further analysis of the Kasasinabwana midden is necessary for purposes of comparison with other sites in Melanesia.
