bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Critique is Dead – Long Live Critique
Authors: Fenton Natalie
Published: November 2024

This piece offers some reflections and discussion points on the articles published by Alan Finlayson and François Cusset in this special edition of Media Theory. I argue the need to be cautious of tendencies towards techno-centrism even when so many of our lives are dominated by digital mediations; for the need to remember and take account of the longer history and prevailing influence of legacy media; to ensure that in our focus on front-stage politics we do not miss emphasising a critique of back-stage power and the growing influence of elites; that we must recognise that the myth of the value of inequality is not totalising and that it is surely the role of critique to identify the sites of its exposure; and finally the pressing urgency of reclaiming the emancipatory powers of critique.
Critical Inversion
Authors: Cusset François
Published: November 2024

Today’s intellectual and ideological conjuncture is marked not so much by a demise of critical labor, but by a confiscation of critical grammars and gestures by the very enemies of the progressive forces historically associated with the modern rise of critique: ultraconservatives and neofascists who are taking advantage of the crisis of intellectual institutions, the failure of social-democratic politics, and the affordances of fast-rising digital media, to disconnect social critique from its traditional progressive politics and thus appear like the new bearers of cognitive freedom and critical audacity. This paper maps the various factors and contexts making such a critical inversion a clear and present danger today.
Special Issue Introduction
Authors: Phelan Sean , Dawes Simon , Maeseele Pieter
Published: November 2024

How might we map the different horizons, questions, topics and concerns that come into view when we bring together the signifiers “critique”, “postcritique” and the “present conjuncture”? The canvas suggested by the question might seem impossibly broad and disorderly, but the different contributions to this special issue of Media Theory share a common desire to confront the question of what critique means today. This editorial introduction identifies different political and cultural developments which justify discussion of this topic now. None seem more salient than the rise of a culture of reactionary media politics that normalises its own image of critical thinking, sometimes in forms that stage a wholesale authoritarian attack against different critical theoretical traditions. Our introduction reflects on the political and cultural resonances of “postcritique” as a provocative keyword for work in literary studies and other fields that questions critique’s reliance on a “hermeneutics of suspicion”. The postcritique literature has been read by some as symbolising a simple renunciation of critique: an antagonist that the defenders of critique need to polemically combat. We approach it instead as an insightful theoretical perspective for illuminating how critique can potentially take repetitive, predictable and regressive forms, both in scholarly work and in cultural contexts that go well beyond the world of the academy. Inspired by this journal’s expansive conception of media theory, we also explore how the postcritique literature’s attention to the affective disposition(s) of critique speaks to the notion of critique as a medium of communication. Far from wanting to disavow a commitment to critique, we affirm the importance of asserting a democratic vision of critique in a conjunctural context where the political valences of critique are more ideologically confusing. We conclude with a brief preview of the different contributions to the special issue.
Love in the Time of Computation
Authors: Cubitt Seán
Published: November 2024

In a brief note on ‘Photography’ published in 1978, American documentary photographer Walker Evans offered principles for his practice. Close analysis suggests that the heart of his concerns lay in the photographers’ love for their subjects based in an unexpressed but significant ecological orientation. This analysis leads towards a critical reconsideration of the concept of ‘mass image’, a term developed to describe the production and management of a collective database of imagery uploaded to social media platforms. The article criticises the idea that this mass image is single and unified. Developing ideas of love and fantasy, the article argues that, in an era when the unconscious is structured not like language but like code, massed image databases lack a single present time, with consequences for photographic aesthetics.
The Academic Spin-Off Ecosystem: a comparative analysis between Colombia and Global Trends
Authors: Alexander Romero-Sánchez  , Maria Stephania Aponte-Garcia
Published: November 2024

Academic entrepreneurship and the formation of spin-offs from educational institutions have been consolidated as essential elements to promote innovation and stimulate economic growth worldwide. However, the evolution of these initiatives shows marked differences between developed countries and emerging economies, such as Colombia. This study focuses on analyzing how research in this area has progressed, identifying the key factors that determine the success of spin-offs and suggesting a framework for action for Colombia in comparison with international dynamics. The findings reveal a shift in research attention from prioritizing the creation of spin-offs to a greater focus on their long-term performance and sustainability. At the international level, the relevance of technology transfer, strategic alliances between universities and industry and the efficient management of technological resources are highlighted. On the other hand, in the Colombian context, research tends to focus on institutional aspects, cultural factors and support regulations, underestimating the analysis of the performance of spin-offs after their creation. This paper aims to contribute to the formulation of policies and strategies that promote not only the emergence but also the sustainability of academic spin-offs in Colombia, seeking to align their practices with international standards in order to maximize their impact on the economic and social development of the country.
Critical Pedagogies and Social Justice in Environmental Education: A Transformative Approach to Educational Project Management
Authors: Fermín Carreño Meléndez  , Jose Raúl López Kohler  , Marlon Javier Mera Párraga  , Viviana Katherine Usgame Peña
Published: November 2024

This article explores the intersection between critical pedagogies and social justice in the context of environmental education, with a focus on transforming educational projects to promote meaningful social change. Through theoretical analysis and qualitative methodology, it highlights how critical pedagogies offer a valuable framework for addressing social and environmental inequalities. This approach fosters students' awareness of their role as agents of change in environmental protection and in creating more equitable and resilient communities. The results show that the application of these principles facilitates the development of critical thinking and empowerment competencies in students, promoting active participation in environmental management.
Time-Domain Statistical Analysis of EMG Signals for Muscular Dysfunction Detection
Authors: Patel Shubha V. , Kiran Kumar G. H. , Ali I. K. , Mahendrachari  , Jyothi G. C. , Banumathi K. L. , Shanthakumar Bhagya
Published: November 2024

Electromyogram (EMG) signals provide a visual representation of the electrical activity of muscles and serve as a key tool for analyzing muscular activity in subjects with paralysis and neuromuscular diseases. This study focuses on the analysis of EMG signals in individuals with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), myopathy, and healthy subjects. Twelve statistical features in the time domain are extracted from the EMG signals of these subjects, and the significance of these features is tested using an F-test. The results show that all twelve features are statistically significant (p < 0.05) in distinguishing between normal, ALS, and myopathy conditions. These findings suggest that time-domain statistical features can be effectively used to analyze paralysis conditions, potentially aiding in the development of better treatment options. Since biomedical signals are continuous by nature, graphical representations of these signals, such as time-amplitude plots, are essential for the analysis of time-series data. The analysis of EMG signals in the time domain reveals important information about the variations in amplitude over time, providing insights into muscular dysfunction in various paralysis conditions.
Hydrothermal Synthesis of Indium Oxide (In₂O₃) Semiconductor Photocatalyst Fabricated with Nitrogen-Sulfur Co-Doped Reduced Graphene Oxide (N,S-rGO)
Authors: Saidu Saidu Rabiu , Iyya Zayyanu , Muhammad Najib , Abdullahi Bilyaminu , Shaibu Momoh , Danhalilu Rabiu
Published: November 2024

The main objective of this research project is to develop an efficient material for degrading pollutants from the textile and pharmaceutical industries, which seriously harm the environment and are challenging to remove from water bodies. This study aims to synthesize In₂O₃ and enhance its fundamental properties by fabricating it with a nitrogen and sulfur-reduced graphene oxide (N,S-rGO) heterostructure. Nanosized In₂O₃ was synthesized via a hydrothermal system and co-doped with N,S-rGO through a facile in-situ co-precipitation technique. The prepared samples were subjected to various characterization methods. XRD evaluation revealed that bare In₂O₃ has a rod-like structure with high crystallinity, while no characteristic diffraction peaks were observed for N,S-rGO and In₂O₃/N,S-rGO. FE-SEM and HR-TEM micrographs showed that In₂O₃ formed nanorods, N,S-rGO exhibited a thin-film layered structure, and In₂O₃/N,S-rGO presented a nanorod-layered structure. The nanorods had an average length of 200-500 nm, with particle sizes ranging from 1-4 μm. FT-IR spectra showed absorption peakscorresponding to In-O asymmetric vibrations and the in-planedeformation vibration of the O-H bond. Additionally, distinctvibrations corresponding to C=N, C-N, and C-S were noted. Astrong and broad absorption peak was observed in the UV-VISDRS evaluation, with a visible absorption edge at 460 nm forthe photocatalysts. Bandgap studies revealed a moderatereduction in bandgap from the bare to the binaryphotocatalyst, with the ternary composite showing the lowestbandgap of 2.72 eV. The characterization results suggest thatour In₂O₃/N,S-rGO nanocomposite is a feasible semiconductorphotocatalyst that is inexpensive, easy to assemble,environmentally friendly, and effective at addressing recyclingchallenges, charge recombination, surface area, and bandgapissues.
Transformative Change for Women Farmers in Sambalpur: ORMAS’s Role in Enhancing Socio-Economic Empowerment
Authors: Mohanty Jyothi Prakash , Joseph Vanishree , Rout Bipin , Dhami Ashutosh
Published: November 2024

The agricultural sector in India, predominantly sustained by smallholder farmers, has increasingly focused on empowering women to drive rural economic growth and sustained social transformation. However, persistent challenges include limited access to land, finance, and markets, alongside gender norms that further restrict women farmers’ economic potential. In response, ORMAS has implemented several initiatives in the Sambalpur district to enhance the socio-economic status of women farmers by focusing on skill development, entrepreneurial training, and institutional support through Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs) and self-help groups (SHGs). This study examines the transformative impact of the Odisha Rural Development and Marketing Society’s (ORMAS) interventions on the chilli value chain in Sambalpur. It focuses on empowering rural women through FPOs, identifies ongoing challenges limiting their growth, and proposes strategies to strengthen these interventions for sustainable development. Additionally, it explores how ORMAS’s initiatives contribute to reshaping traditional gender roles and promoting inclusive community development. Using a mixed-methods approach, the study draws on both qualitative data from field observations and interviews with women farmers, as well as secondary sources detailing ORMAS’s ongoing projects. ORMAS’s interventions have led to notable improvements in women’s participation in agricultural entrepreneurship, enabling them to diversify their income through value-added products and promoting greater social recognition. The establishment of FPOs and improved market linkages have empowered women with collective bargaining power and access to new markets. Results indicate a significant increase in household income and yield per hectare, attributable to enhanced access to quality inputs, training in sustainable agricultural practices, and direct market linkages with corporate buyers like Bharat Masala. However, challenges such as limited access to land, credit, and leadership roles in community institutions persist, affecting women’s ability to fully maximize these opportunities. The study underscores the importance of building social capital, adopting gender-sensitive policy environments, and forming strategic partnerships. These actions are crucial for empowering women as agents of change within broader rural development frameworks and for the continued success of ORMAS’s initiatives.
Analyze and Compare the Brand Development Process by Viettravel and Saigontourist
Authors: Chi Dang Thi Phuong , Nguyen Hoang Tien , Nogalski Bogdan
Published: November 2024

In the current era of globalization, brand development and management is an important factor for tourism businesses. Brands not only create recognition and trust from customers, but also play a decisive role in a company's competition and success. In the Vietnamese economy, Vietravel and Saigontourist are two of the most famous and reputable travel brands in the travel industry. This topic aims to analyze and compare the brand development process of Vietravel and Saigontourist. By looking at important factors such as development history, brand strategy, management and marketing, we can better understand how these two companies have built and grown their brands. . Vietravel and Saigontourist have distinct characteristics and different scales of operation. However, both companies have made efforts to build a strong and trustworthy image among customers. By taking an in-depth look at both of their brand development processes, we can recognize the success factors and challenges they have faced during this process. By researching this topic, we hope to have an overview of the brand development process of Vietravel and Saigontourist, and discover the factors that determine their success and the challenges they have overcome.
People Analytics: Using Data to Drive Positive Change in Process, Culture, and Strategy
Authors: Westover Jonathan
Published: November 2024

In an increasingly data-driven world, organizations are leveraging people analytics to gain valuable insights into workforce behaviors and business outcomes. People analytics applies a scientific approach to analyzing factors such as leadership, team structures, compensation, and training to optimize HR processes and align organizational strategies. This article explores the impact of people analytics on recruitment, performance management, and employee development, highlighting case studies that demonstrate its ability to improve engagement, retention, and cultural alignment. Through data-driven insights, companies can address talent gaps, enhance training programs, and align their culture with strategic goals. When implemented thoughtfully, people analytics empowers organizations to make evidence-based decisions that drive productivity, boost retention, and foster innovation. As demonstrated by forward-thinking firms, leveraging this emerging field equips businesses to navigate challenges and maintain a competitive edge by prioritizing their most valuable asset—people.
Professional Burnout, Vicarious Trauma, Secondary Traumatic Stress, and Compassion Fatigue
Authors: Newell Jason M. , MacNeil Gordon A.
Published: November 2024

The emotional and psychological risks associated with providing direct social work services to vulnerable populations have been largely overlooked in social work educational curriculum and agency training (Cunningham, 2004; Courtois, 2002; Shackelford, 2006). These risks should be conceptualized
as occurring in two separate forms: trauma-related stress and professional burnout. Vicarious trauma, secondary traumatic stress, and compassion fatigue are conditions related specifically to work with trauma populations, while professional burnout is considered a more general phenomenon which
may occur within any social service setting. The forms of trauma-related stress conditions and professional burnout are often erroneously discussed either interchangeably or grouped together as one condition in the literature. It is best to conceptualize each of these conditions separately
in order to have a comprehensive understanding of these complex phenomena. It is important that direct practitioners and educators understand the risk factors and symptoms associated with these phenomena in order to identify, prevent, and/or minimize their effects. As a best-practice initiative,
it is appropriate that information on these conditions be infused into social work curricula as a first-line preventive measure for the training of inexperienced social workers who may be more vulnerable to the effects of these conditions (Lerias & Byrne, 2003). Information on these topics
should also be included as part of agency training for practitioners already working in the field. This article provides a brief review of professional burnout, vicarious trauma, secondary traumatic stress, and compassion fatigue, including the risk factors and symptoms associated with these
conditions. Particular attention is paid to the inclusion of this material and the practice of self-care in both macro and micro social work education, as well as agency-training curriculum.
Diversity in early New Guinea pottery traditions
Authors: Beaumont Phillip , O'Connor Sue , Leclerc Mathieu , Aplin Ken
Published: November 2024

The initial appearance of pottery on mainland New Guinea has been an elusive and sometimes controversial topic. A range of factors contribute to this conundrum including landscape transformation and disturbance where relevant archaeology may be undetectable, or misinterpreted, and a lack of sound evidence from various sites that could facilitate comparative analysis. Moreover, the preeminence of the Lapita pottery sequence and its clear dispersal model has set expectations and perceptions concerning the oldest known pottery on New Guinea, which sometimes has resulted in scanty finds being interpreted on a prioriconceptual grounds rather than according to substantive or direct local evidence. Presented here is a catalogue of pottery recovered in 2004-05 from Lachitu, Taora, Watinglo and Paleflatu. These co-located north coast Papua New Guinea (PNG) sites provide material where the issues of chronostratigraphic integrity are directly confronted. Pottery from Lachitu and Taora was previously claimed as among the earliest ceramics on mainland PNG. However, the dating of results presented in this study suggests a more recent context for the introduction and manufacture of pottery, with a variety of diagnostic attributes pointing to a complex involvement of diverse peoples.
Dendroarchaeology in New Zealand: extending the range of archaeologically useful species beyond kauri (Agathis australis)
Authors: Boswijk Gretel , Johns Dilys , Hogg Alan
Published: November 2024

Accurately establishing calendar dates for Māori wooden objects would place them in a secure temporal context and enable aspects of manufacturing and use to be explored within and between sites, and across time. Dendrochronology has the potential to produce accurate and precise calendar dates for wooden artefacts but in New Zealand application of this technique to Māori cultural material is limited as there is almost no overlap between wood species found in archaeological contexts and tree-species with proven suitability for tree-ring dating. Here we identify five archaeologically-useful species – kahikatea (Dacrycarpus dacrydioides), matai (Prumnopitys taxifolia), miro (Prumnopitys ferruginea), rimu (Dacrydium cupressinum) and totara (Podocarpus totara) – and assess their potential for dendrochronology. Of these, matai, miro and totara are identified as species that should be the subject of further comprehensive dendrochronological investigation.
Small screens, small fish and the diversity of pre-European Māori fish catches
Authors: Campbell Matthew , Nims Reno
Published: November 2024

Recent analyses of archaeological fishbone assemblages from the upper North Island have identified taxa that have either not previously been recorded – pilchard (Sardinops sagax) and piper (Hyporhamphus ihi) – or that have only been rarely recorded – yellow-eyed mullet (Aldrichetta forsteri) and grey mullet (Mugil cephalus). We show that by sieving with small mesh screens and by identifying a wider range of elements than has conventionally been identified, these taxa become quite common in assemblages. We briefly consider the implications for both archaeological analysis and pre-European Māori fisheries.
Community Relationships and Integration at a Small-Island Scale
Authors: Quintus Seth
Published: November 2024

Most pre-European polities in Polynesia were constituted by multiple interacting communities, some of which were centers while others were hinterlands. The relationship between these communities was mediated by the nature of power in these societies and the economic and ideological foundations of that power. Different relationships leave different material traces across landscapes. The identification of analytical communities in the archaeological record and the analysis of material variation between communities aids in elucidating different forms of group consolidation and hierarchical organization within the region. Using a case study from the Manu‘a Group, Sāmoa, I compare and contrast a series of analytical communities to identify points of variation. These points of variation are then used to highlight the organization of settlement in these societies and the nature of power that supported that organization. I demonstrate that different fields of power can be identified in Polynesia by comparing the archaeological record of communities, and such comparison provides insights into the dynamics of political structure not wholly documented in ethnographic and ethnohistorical literature.
Hinterlands and mobile courts of the Hawai`i Island state
Authors: Hommon Robert
Published: November 2024

The eighteenth century Hawai`i Island state included more than 400 local communities divided among six districts, each with a resident elite. The king’s mobile court of as many as a thousand people frequently moved from one highly productive district core to another. The “capital” was wherever the king resided. Broadly speaking, hinterlands were where the court was not. Hinterland residents included both commoners who provided nearly all the kingdom’s labour and government officials with whom they negotiated the payment of tax in kind. Commoners also negotiated double title to their lands in the form of both inheritance from parents and grants by resident officials.
The Māʻohi Hinterlands
Authors: Kahn Jennifer G.
Published: November 2024

I draw upon current research highlighting the agentive role that hinterland zones could have on both local and regional dynamics. In my case study on the Society Islands, I consider hinterland variability at multiple scales, that of the local, community, and regional or meta-regional scale. Synthesis of historic texts and oral traditions provide an emic view into how the Maʻohi themselves conceptualized their social landscapes. I develop a multi-scalar view of hinterlands and hinterland to core relations, exploring island specific, archipelago-specific, and extra-archipelago “far” hinterlands in the Society Island context. Finally, I use both ethnohistoric and archaeological data to imagine both push and pull factors leading to certain social actors inhabiting specific hinterland regions. My multi-scalar view of Māʻohi hinterlands illuminates their diverse socio-economic roles as well as their relational quality. As I argue, elites reached deep into the hinterlands as a form of political aggrandizement and as an expression of economic power. Such places also served as elite refugia for Māʻohi chiefs, priests, and ‘arioi. Yet agency was not restricted to core regions, as hinterland communities likewise reached deep into these zones in order to maintain their own economic viability through precious socio-political alliances and networks.
On the Margins of the Market
Authors: Moore Summer
Published: November 2024

While hinterlands have often been viewed as the areas that surround urban centers or central zones, some researchers have used the term to describe areas on the edges or margins of an integrated periphery. In Hawaiʻi, the market economy spread across large swaths of the archipelago during the nineteenth century. This paper considers the spread of the market economy through Hawaiʻi from the perspective of a community in one of Hawaiʻi’s marginal regions. Here, I examine artifacts and subsistence evidence from nineteenth-century Hawaiian house sites at Miloliʻi, a community on the remote Nā Pali Coast of Kauaʻi Island. Analysis of the household assemblages suggests that the residents of the Nā Pali Coast gradually began to incorporate foreign consumer goods into household economies. Rather than serving as hallmarks for large-scale changes in the household economy, foreign goods were instead incorporated into households that continued to rely on household-level food production and manufacture household goods from locally available materials. Rather than committing themselves to wholesale participation in the market economy, this paper argues that Nā Pali Coast households were able to strategically fashion for themselves a place on the margins of the market economy.
Gendering the archaeology of the mission frontier in the New Hebrides
Authors: Flexner James
Published: November 2024

The New Hebrides (now Vanuatu) was the location of a series of sometimes dramatic encounters with Presbyterian missionaries from the 1840s through the early 20th century. Survey and excavations of mission landscapes revealed the ways that missionaries sought to carve out a ‘civilised’ space in the ‘savage’ Melanesian islands where they settled. Mission encounters were also heavily gendered, both in the domestic relationships between missionary husbands, wives, and children, and in the relationships missionaries formed with local Islanders. Evidence from nine years of archaeological research on mission landscapes and material culture from southern Vanuatu is used to explore the implications of gender for understanding these colonial encounters.
Functional Classification of Hawaiian Curved-Edge Adzes and Gouges
Authors: Dye Thomas , Kahn Jennifer G.
Published: November 2024

As part of a project to describe and classify functionally more than 800 Hawaiian stone adzes held in the ethnographic and archaeological collections at Bishop Museum in Honolulu, 24 tools with curved edges were identified and described. The curved-edge tools include adzes and gouges, which can be unambiguously distinguished from one another using a combination of weight and length index. Many of the curved-edge adzes have large cutting edge width ratios; the narrow shoulders and wide edges led archaeologists to describe them as “hoofed”. Curved-edge adzes and gouges make up less than the 3 percent of the Hawaiian collection. Their rarity in Hawai‘i appears to be in line with other island groups in East Polynesia outside New Zealand, where they make up about 10 percent of museum collections.
Erased Places? Revealing the Mission network of the Swan River Colony, 1829-1879.
Authors: Osborne Janet
Published: November 2024

This paper reviews the institutions established for First Nations (Nyungar) children and young adults (16 missions and other residential institutions) operating in the first 50 years of the Swan River Colony, Western Australia (1829 – 1879), and their potential as sites of archaeological investigation. Focusing upon two institutions operating within this network, at Perth, run by the colonial government and Wesleyan Methodists between 1833 and 1844, it asks to what extent these missions operated as part of a network of surveillance and control of Nyungar lives. Evidence for the archaeology and the history of these places is examined and specifically their varying spatial characteristics, that were exploited by administrators in attempts to colonise and control Nyungar inmates. The role of such missions in the landscape of frontier colonialism and the colonial society and economy is explored.
Typology of Erasure
Authors: Ash Jeremy Edwin
Published: November 2024

Agents of the London Missionary Society sought radical change in the worlds of Torres Strait Islanders and communities in southern central New Guinea. As they had elsewhere in Oceania, LMS agents buried, burned or collected powerful objects, destroyed cultural sites and introduced new cosmic beings. Clearly, the act of erasure was violent and destabilising. But the act was also generative of new expressive spiritscape and cosmic dialogues. In this sense, missionary interventions held unintended consequences. This paper examines mission texts, ethnographies and oral histories to chart missionary interventions in Torres Strait and adjacent areas in southern central New Guinea. I do so in an attempt to clarify the grammar and form of these early mission encounters to (1) understand the effect of material interventions in Torres Strait Islander seascapes, (2) consider Islander agency in the evangelical encounter, and (3) draw attention to the materiality of this process.
The archaeology of missions and missionisation in Australasia and the Pacific
Authors: Bedford Stuart , Flexner James L , Jones Martin
Published: November 2024

This collection, dedicated to Angela Middleton, comprises eight papers centred around missions and missionisation located across a vast region primarily composed of sea and islands. Case studies span mainland Australia, the Torres Strait and the far corners of the Pacific, including Vanuatu (the former New Hebrides), the Tuamotu Islands, Guam and New Zealand, the place where Angela’s career and influence began. The complexity and depth of Christian missionisation across Australasia and the Pacific is demonstrated by the time depth and variety of Christian denominations that are represented in these contributions. They include Spanish and French Catholics, in Guam and the Tuamotu archipelago respectively, the Protestant London Missionary Society in the Torres Strait, Wesleyans in western Australia and New Zealand, and Presbyterians in Vanuatu.
Revisiting warfare, monument destruction, and the ‘Huri Moai’ phase in Rapa Nui (Easter Island) culture history
Authors: DiNapoli Robert J. , Lipo Carl P. , Hunt Terry L.
Published: November 2024

Warfare is widely accepted as a transformative factor in human history. However, as warfare is not inevitable in human groups, archaeologists must critically assess the empirical evidence for war and its importance in the past. Here, we reevaluate the culture history of Rapa Nui (Easter Island), often interpreted as a case of warfare resulting in social upheaval. Common accounts hold that, prior to European contact, clan groups eventually ceased making moai statues and statue platforms (ahu), battled with obsidian spears, sought refuge in fortified caves, and toppled rivals’ moai in a prolonged period of internecine warfare termed the “Huri Moai” phase. Examining this culture historical framework and evidence for warfare and monument destruction, we find a lack of support in archaeological or historical records for a pre-contact Huri Moai phase. Overall, these findings highlight how archaeologists must carefully evaluate assumptions about the prevalence of violence and war in the past given the evidence for each case. In the case of Rapa Nui, our prior understanding of the island’s culture history is in need of fundamental revision.
Refining the Chronology of Rapa Nui (Easter Island) Settlement
Authors: Mulrooney Mara , Van Tilburg Jo Anne , Hom Alice , McCoy Patrick C.
Published: November 2024

P. C. McCoy and colleagues carried out a comprehensive survey and test excavations at selected sites in the southwestern portion of Rapa Nui (Easter Island) in 1968. This included the excavation of a rectangular house (hare; 1-187) and a nearby stone-lined earth oven (umu pa‘e; 1-186) on the eastern rim of Rano Kau. A single radiocarbon date of AD 770 ± 230 from 1-187 was subsequently accepted by some researchers as support for the theory of early island settlement but contested by others. This paper presents results of the re-dating of these sites as part of a collaborative research program that also includes the complete digitization, auditing, and archiving of McCoy’s (1968) previously un-cataloged site survey records and analyses of selected artifacts and eco-facts collected during the 1968 survey. The newly acquired radiocarbon dates reported here provide insights into the longstanding debate regarding the timing of the initial settlement of Rapa Nui within a broader East Polynesian context and assist with the development of a refined model of island settlement, while speaking to the utility of conducting new analyses on archived samples in archaeological research.
New archaeological data from the abandoned island of Alofi (Hoorn archipelago, Western Polynesia)
Authors: Sand Christophe , Goudiaby Hemmamuthé , Garcia Sanchez Jesus , Grau Mira Ignacio , Masei Ipasio , Cruz Berrocal Maria
Published: November 2024

The Hoorn Archipelago in Western Polynesia, comprising the islands of Futuna and Alofi, was in May 1616 the place of the very first long encounter between European navigators and Polynesians in the Central Pacific. The potential consequences of the two week stop of the Dutch sailors J. Lemaire and W. Schouten in Leava Bay have been a neglected topic of study until today. No proper consideration has been given to the possible introduction of foreign diseases during the close contacts and consequently to the hypothesis of a severe demographic impact well before the end of the 18th–19th centuries. In order to study the long-term demographic history of the archipelago, an archaeological research program was started on the island of Alofi. New archaeological surveys and spatial studies fulfilled in different parts of Alofi in 2019 have started to show the diversity and concentration of surface remains, testimony of a former dense settlement pattern. This paper highlights the main results of the first field season, allowing us to test the hypothesis of a massive depopulation on Alofi following first contact in 1616.
Mapping prehistoric sailing routes to Lizard Island and beyond
Authors: Dousset Laurent , Di Piazza Anne
Published: November 2024

Migration and exchange, as well as the circulation and diffusion of cultural, material and linguistic traits are dependent on the technical means, the environmental conditions and the human capacity to actually navigate and reach distant islands and coastal areas. Simulations of the navigational travel potential of Pacific Islanders have been undertaken in 1973 (Levison, Ward and Web) and 1992 (Irwin). However, these were lacking comprehensive wind data, were too approximate in methodological respects and did not calculate travel speed of vessels in relation to force and direction of winds. Based on new simulation software developed by one of the authors (Anne Di Piazza), to which mapping and geographical representation software was added by the other author (Laurent Dousset), this paper illustrates the potential for extensive human circulation to and from Lizard Island into the Solomon Sea in open sea voyages. The simulations show that the Coral and Solomon Seas were (or even must have been) places of dense but specific and interlinked navigational networks, and demonstrate that voyages from the Massim area and even from the Solomon Islands to the coast and islands of Queensland were not only possible, but were likely.
Death and Dark Deeds on the Goldfields: The Tragedies of an Unknown Miner.
Authors: Petchey Peter , Buckley Hallie , Ritchie Neville , King Charlotte
Published: November 2024

In 1983 the grave of an unknown man was excavated in the Cromwell Gorge, Otago, New Zealand, as part of the archaeological programme of the Clutha Valley Development Project. This project culminated in the construction of the Clyde Dam, a large hydro-electric dam across the Clutha River. At the time of the excavation it was noted that the grave had been disturbed, and the skeleton was sent to the Anatomy Department at the University of Otago for study. A short report was produced, identifying the individual as a tall European male. Because no next of kin could be determined, the skeletal remains stayed in the Anatomy Department.
 
Advances in bioarchaeological and archaeological methodology mean that a more detailed and nuanced study of this individual is now possible, and this research is presented in this paper and its companion (Buckley et al. this issue). In this paper, the life, death and burial, along with the circumstances and details of the grave disturbance are discussed. The material culture and manner of burial are typical of the nineteenth century goldfields frontier context, while the disturbance of the grave leads to the conclusion that this was a deliberate act of grave robbing, possibly to search the dead man’s pockets for gold. There are no known records of such crime on the goldfields, but the archaeological evidence is unequivocal, shedding light on a previously unsuspected darker side of goldfields life.
Plant microfossil and 14C analysis of archaeological features at Coromandel Peninsula, New Zealand: Evidence for regional Māori use of introduced and indigenous plants
Authors: Horrocks Mark , Bickler Simon , Gumbley Warren , Jones Benjamin
Published: November 2024

The study of Māori agriculture has been limited by lack of evidence in the form of plant remains. Studies using a combined microfossil (pollen, phytolith, and starch) approach have shown promise, although have mostly focused on specific sites. Here we address these limitations by providing a relatively high geographic resolution microfossils and 14C study examining how several sites within a region compare to one another. Using samples from sediments, middens, and coprolites from six sites on Coromandel Peninsula, New Zealand, the results build on previous local studies, showing major landscape disturbance by people, and agricultural activity through the identification of Māori introduced cf. Colocasia esculenta, Cordyline cf. fruticosa, Dioscorea alata, and cf. Ipomoea batatas. Microfossils of possible gathered wild plants in the coprolites, namely Brassicaceae, Coriaria, Rhopalostylis, Rumex, and Sonchus, were also identified, complimenting the agricultural record. Ipomoea batatas and C. esculenta were identified at each of four of the six sites and in each of five of the seven coprolites, which could reflect their generally accepted dominance in Māori agriculture. Dioscorea alata starch at only one site is consistent with its status as a marginal crop. Starch of cf. Solanum tuberosum at one site reflects adoption of European cropping.
Indirectly Dating one of the Oldest Adze Quarries in the Hawaiian Islands Provides Insights into the Colonisation Process and Community Networks
Authors: Weisler Marshall , Sinton John , Hua Quan , Skippington Jane
Published: November 2024

Chemically characterising stone tools in distant habitation sites and matching artefacts to quarries is some of the strongest evidence archaeologists have to define the spatial and temporal limits of ancient interaction networks. We present the chemical analysis of five basalt flakes from three sites on Moloka‘i, Hawaiian Islands: a well-dated colonisation period stratified coastal mound, a craft specialisation locale and an upland buried habitation. Wavelength dispersive x-ray fluorescence (WDXRF) and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) was used to identify the origin of the artefacts. Radiocarbon dating results indicate that the recently discovered Pu‘u Pāpa‘i (Moloka‘i) quarry was likely utilised from  the colonisation period beginning in the 12th century through to the late 1600s, making it one of the oldest, continuously used quarries in the archipelago. Aspects of island colonisation and community networks are discussed including the emergence of the elite control of resources.
Human Skeletal Evidence of Polynesian Presence in South America? Metric Analyses of Six Crania from Mocha Island, Chile
Authors: Matisoo-Smith Elizabeth , Ramirez Jose-Miguel
Published: November 2024

In 2007 the discovery of pre-Columbian chicken bones from Chile provided the first conclusive evidence for prehistoric Polynesian contact with South America. When looking for further commensal data to address the issue of trans-Pacific contacts, we found a museum collection of human remains recovered from Mocha Island, a small island located approximately 30 km off the Chilean coast. The morphology of the crania suggests they may be of Polynesian ancestry. Here we present craniometric analyses for the six complete crania from Mocha Island, Chile and discuss the implications for further research into prehistoric trans-Pacific interaction.
Stone Disc Beads from Watinglo Shelter, Northern Papua New Guinea
Authors: O’Connor Sue , Dickinson William R.
Published: November 2024

In 2005 the excavation of a new rockshelter in Papua New Guinea, Watinglo, unearthed the unusual find of four stone disc-shaped beads. Beads such as this have not hitherto been reported from Papua New Guinea. The context, age, technology of manufacture and petrography of the beads are described.
Foreign Animals, Hawaiian Practices: Zooarchaeology in the Leprosarium at Kalawao, Moloka‘i, Hawaii
Authors: Flexner James L
Published: November 2024

Archaeological research on the Hansen’s disease settlement at Kalawao, Moloka‘i highlights the relationship between the institutional mandates of the Hawaiian Board of Health, and the village organisation evident in the physical remains of the leprosarium. One aspect of this work focuses on the role of animals in the settlement, using archaeological surface remains as well as faunal remains recovered from excavations. Zooarchaeology in Kalawao reveals changes in diet due to provisioning by the state, notably increased consumption of cattle, but also continuity in traditional Hawaiian food procurement strategies such as shellfish collecting, in addition to other patterns relevant to human-animal interactions.
Vanuatu Mortuary Practices over Three Millennia: Lapita to the Early European Contact Period
Authors: Valentin Frederique , Spriggs Matthew , Bedford Stuart , Buckley Hallie
Published: November 2024

New discoveries and previously-unpublished data on burials from south, central, and north Vanuatu are reviewed in this paper, offering a synthesis of mortuary practices over three millennia, from Lapita to the early European contact period. Relying on five attributes describing the practices and behaviours (body and bone treatment, position and orientation of the body, ornaments and associated artefacts, and use of single or multiple burial), the analysis emphasizes two major episodes of structural changes in the overall funerary system following initial settlement of Vanuatu. The first occurred towards the end of the Lapita period and the second is indicated by the distinctiveness of the second millennium AD burials. A possible interpretation of these changes, following the lines of Thomas’s ‘genealogical approach’ (2001) is proposed.
Sourcing the Megalithic Stones of Nan Madol: an XRF Study of Architectural Basalt Stone from Pohnpei, Federated States of Micronesia
Authors: McCoy Mark Dennis , Athens J. Steven
Published: November 2024

Nan Madol is a massive 81 hectare prehistoric administrative and ceremonial complex made up of 93 constructed islets on the high volcanic island of Pohnpei. Built between A.D. 900 and 1650 over earlier settlement remains along the southern coast of Temwen Island within the fringing reef, the site is noted for its distinctive use of columnar basalt and large boulders. XRF analysis presented here suggests the site’s builders favoured columnar basalt from the island’s main shield building stage (7-8 mya) over post-shield material. Boulders incorporated in the architecture are primarily from post-shield stage Temwen Island but supplemented by some main shield boulders from mainland Pohnpei. Preliminary findings further suggest that there were shifts in the relative frequency of quarries used to construct different structures. These shifts could relate to exhaustion of accessible stone from specific sources or perhaps changing preferences for stone from different sources due to social or political imperatives.
Oceanic Tattooing and the Implied Lapita Ceramic Connection
Authors: Ambrose Wal
Published: November 2024

Skin ornamentation is a universal human practice, whether by painting, incising, burning or tattooing, and it ranges in importance from simple personal adornment to a ceremonially aligned practice executed by specialists on high-ranking individuals. In Oceania, as elsewhere, tattoo is widely accepted wherever suitable skin, on any body part, can bear its permanent visible designs (van Dinter 2005; Krutak 2007). The ethnographic picture of the richly tattooed Polynesians has been seen by some as an expression of a decorative style applied in the dentate stamp designs of Lapita pottery from more than 2500 years ago. This view rests on an implied connection between the acts of tattooing on skin and dentate stamping on pottery. The persistence of complex designs over such a long time span may be doubted where surface decoration on later pottery in the region changed quickly in style and technique. The evidence for tattoo alone is hard to find in the archaeological record, but what little there is suggests a more complex story. This paper examines the comparative technologies between the complex multi-point Polynesian tattooing kits recorded ethnographically and Lapita stamped decoration. The survey shows a clear lack of equivalence between the tattooing tools of the Bismarck Archipelago or any putative ‘Lapita Homeland’, pottery dentate stamps and the implements of Polynesian tattoo.
Coastal Occupation at the GS-1 Site, Cook’s Bay, Mo‘orea, Society Islands
Authors: Kahn Jennifer G.
Published: November 2024

Excavations at the GS-1 site uncovered buried stratigraphic deposits of some depth. Site stratigraphy and artifact content suggests the area was first used as a coastal habitation prior to being covered by substantial colluvial deposits and in historic times, modern fill. Wood charcoal samples recovered from the site were identified to short lived species for AMS radiocarbon dating. The wood charcoal identifications were also used to identify indigenous versus introduced species in order to clarify the depositional events associated with the stratigraphic deposits. The lowest deposits at GS-1 date to as early as the 11th century Ad. Colluvial deposits overlying the lowest strata were definitively related to human activities, as Polynesian introductions are present in the wood charcoal assemblages. Finally, the frequency and types of artifacts recovered suggest the area served as an adze manufacturing locale through time.