title: Ruisasi 1 and the earliest evidence of mass-produced ceramics in Caution Bay (Port Moresby region), Papua New Guinea

authors: David, Bruno O.

abstract: The history of pottery use along the south coast of Papua New Guinea spans from Lapita times, here dated to 2900–2600 cal BP, through to mass production of pottery associated with a number of ethnographically-known interaction (and exchange) networks. Understanding the antecedents and developmental histories of these interaction networks is of considerable importance to archaeological research from local to western Pacific geographical scales. The archaeological site of Ruisasi 1 located at Caution Bay near Port Moresby provides new insights into scales of pottery production before the development of the regional Motu hiri exchange system within the past 500 years. Here faunal remains indicate occupation by marine specialists who exploited a diverse range of local marine environments. Nearly 20,000 ceramic sherds are present in Square A, mostly from a 26 cm thick ‘pottery midden’. A minimum of 45 red slip/plainware vessels based on conjoined sets of sherds plus two vessels with incised decoration are present; the maximum number of clay vessels based on Fabric Types is 155. The globular red slip/plainware pots have highly standardized shapes and sizes, consistent with mass pottery production. The concentration of sherds from these pots within the pottery midden reflects short-duration depositional events within the period of village life c. 1630–1220 cal BP. Whether or not the pots were made locally or imported is the subject of ongoing research. Whatever the case, Ruisasi 1 raises the possibility of mass pottery production possibly linked to a regional interaction network pre-dating the hiri.

text: Ruisasi 1 and the earliest evidence of mass-produced ceramics in Caution Bay (Port Moresby region), Papua New Guinea The history of pottery use along the south coast of Papua New Guinea spans from Lapita times, here dated to 2900–2600 cal BP, through to mass production of pottery associated with a number of ethnographically-known interaction (and exchange) networks. Understanding the antecedents and developmental histories of these interaction networks is of considerable importance to archaeological research from local to western Pacific geographical scales. The archaeological site of Ruisasi 1 located at Caution Bay near Port Moresby provides new insights into scales of pottery production before the development of the regional Motu hiri exchange system within the past 500 years. Here faunal remains indicate occupation by marine specialists who exploited a diverse range of local marine environments. Nearly 20,000 ceramic sherds are present in Square A, mostly from a 26 cm thick ‘pottery midden’. A minimum of 45 red slip/plainware vessels based on conjoined sets of sherds plus two vessels with incised decoration are present; the maximum number of clay vessels based on Fabric Types is 155. The globular red slip/plainware pots have highly standardized shapes and sizes, consistent with mass pottery production. The concentration of sherds from these pots within the pottery midden reflects short-duration depositional events within the period of village life c. 1630–1220 cal BP. Whether or not the pots were made locally or imported is the subject of ongoing research. Whatever the case, Ruisasi 1 raises the possibility of mass pottery production possibly linked to a regional interaction network pre-dating the hiri.

year: 2016

title: Shelf-to-slope sedimentation on the north Kaipara continental margin, northwestern North Island, New Zealand

authors: Payne, Danielle Sarah

subjects: north Kaipara continental margin

abstract: Temperate mixed carbonate-siliciclastic sediments and authigenic minerals are the
current surficial deposits at shelf and slope depths (30-1015 m water depth) on the
north Kaipara continental margin (NKCM) in northern New Zealand. This is the
first detailed study of these NKCM deposits which are described and mapped
from the analysis of 54 surficial sediment samples collected along seven shorenormal
transects and from three short piston cores. Five surficial sediment facies
are defined from the textural and compositional characteristics of this sediment
involving relict, modern or mixed relict-modern components. Facies 1
(siliciclastic sand) forms a modern sand prism that extends out to outer shelf
depths and contains three subfacies. Subfacies 1a (quartzofeldspathic sand) is an
extensive North Island volcanic and basement rock derived sand deposit that
occurs at less than 100-200 m water depth across the entire NKCM. Subfacies 1b
(heavy mineral sand) occurs at less than 50 m water depth along only two
transects and consists of predominantly local basaltic to basaltic andesite derived
heavy mineral rich (gt30%) deposits. Subfacies 1c (mica rich sand) occurs at one
sample site at 300 m water depth and contains 20-30% mica grains, probably
sourced from South Island schists and granites. Facies 2 (glauconitic sand)
comprises medium to fine sand with over 30% and up to 95% authigenic
glauconite grains occurring in areas of low sedimentation on the outer shelf and
upper slope (150-400 m water depth) in central NKCM. Facies 3 (mixed
bryozoan-siliciclastic sand) consists of greater than 40% bryozoan skeletal
material and occurs only in the northern half of the NKCM. Facies 4 (pelletal
mud) occurs on the mid shelf (100-150 m water depth) in northern NKCM and
comprises muddy sediment dominated by greater than c. 30% mixed carbonatesiliciclastic
pellets. Facies 5 (foraminiferal mud and sand) contains at least 30%
foraminifera tests and comprises two subfacies. Subfacies 5a consists of at least
50% mud sized sediment and occurs at gt400 m water depth in southern NKCM
while subfacies 5b comprises gt70% sand sized sediment and occurs at mid to
outer shelf and slope depths in the northern NKCM.
vi
A number of environmental controls affect the composition and distribution of
NKCM sediments and these include: (1) variable sediment inputs to the NKCM
dominated by inshore bedload sources from the south; (2) northerly directed
nearshore littoral and combined storm-current sediment transport on the beach and
shelf, respectively; (3) offshore suspended sediment bypassing allowing
deposition of authigenic minerals and skeletal grains; (4) exchange between the
beach and shelf producing similar compositions and grain sizes at less than 150 m
water depth; and (5) the episodic rise of sea level since the Last Glaciation
maximum approximately 20 000 years ago which has resulted in much sediment
being left stranded at greater depths than would otherwise be anticipated.
Sedimentation models developed from other wave-dominated shelves generally
do not appear to apply to the NKCM sediments due to their overall relative
coarseness and their mosaic textural characteristics. In particular, the NKCM
sediments do not show the expected fining offshore trends of most wavedominated
shelf models. Consequently, sandy sediments (both siliciclastic and
authigenic) are most typical with mud becoming a dominant component in
southern NKCM sediments only at greater than 400 m water depth, over 350 m
deeper than most models suggest, a situation accentuated by the very low mud
sediment supply to the NKCM from the bordering Northland landmass.

text: Shelf-to-slope sedimentation on the north Kaipara continental margin, northwestern North Island, New Zealand Temperate mixed carbonate-siliciclastic sediments and authigenic minerals are the
current surficial deposits at shelf and slope depths (30-1015 m water depth) on the
north Kaipara continental margin (NKCM) in northern New Zealand. This is the
first detailed study of these NKCM deposits which are described and mapped
from the analysis of 54 surficial sediment samples collected along seven shorenormal
transects and from three short piston cores. Five surficial sediment facies
are defined from the textural and compositional characteristics of this sediment
involving relict, modern or mixed relict-modern components. Facies 1
(siliciclastic sand) forms a modern sand prism that extends out to outer shelf
depths and contains three subfacies. Subfacies 1a (quartzofeldspathic sand) is an
extensive North Island volcanic and basement rock derived sand deposit that
occurs at less than 100-200 m water depth across the entire NKCM. Subfacies 1b
(heavy mineral sand) occurs at less than 50 m water depth along only two
transects and consists of predominantly local basaltic to basaltic andesite derived
heavy mineral rich (gt30%) deposits. Subfacies 1c (mica rich sand) occurs at one
sample site at 300 m water depth and contains 20-30% mica grains, probably
sourced from South Island schists and granites. Facies 2 (glauconitic sand)
comprises medium to fine sand with over 30% and up to 95% authigenic
glauconite grains occurring in areas of low sedimentation on the outer shelf and
upper slope (150-400 m water depth) in central NKCM. Facies 3 (mixed
bryozoan-siliciclastic sand) consists of greater than 40% bryozoan skeletal
material and occurs only in the northern half of the NKCM. Facies 4 (pelletal
mud) occurs on the mid shelf (100-150 m water depth) in northern NKCM and
comprises muddy sediment dominated by greater than c. 30% mixed carbonatesiliciclastic
pellets. Facies 5 (foraminiferal mud and sand) contains at least 30%
foraminifera tests and comprises two subfacies. Subfacies 5a consists of at least
50% mud sized sediment and occurs at gt400 m water depth in southern NKCM
while subfacies 5b comprises gt70% sand sized sediment and occurs at mid to
outer shelf and slope depths in the northern NKCM.
vi
A number of environmental controls affect the composition and distribution of
NKCM sediments and these include: (1) variable sediment inputs to the NKCM
dominated by inshore bedload sources from the south; (2) northerly directed
nearshore littoral and combined storm-current sediment transport on the beach and
shelf, respectively; (3) offshore suspended sediment bypassing allowing
deposition of authigenic minerals and skeletal grains; (4) exchange between the
beach and shelf producing similar compositions and grain sizes at less than 150 m
water depth; and (5) the episodic rise of sea level since the Last Glaciation
maximum approximately 20 000 years ago which has resulted in much sediment
being left stranded at greater depths than would otherwise be anticipated.
Sedimentation models developed from other wave-dominated shelves generally
do not appear to apply to the NKCM sediments due to their overall relative
coarseness and their mosaic textural characteristics. In particular, the NKCM
sediments do not show the expected fining offshore trends of most wavedominated
shelf models. Consequently, sandy sediments (both siliciclastic and
authigenic) are most typical with mud becoming a dominant component in
southern NKCM sediments only at greater than 400 m water depth, over 350 m
deeper than most models suggest, a situation accentuated by the very low mud
sediment supply to the NKCM from the bordering Northland landmass.

year: 2008

title: Maori Flourishing in a Fast Changing World - Inaugural Professorial Address

authors: Nikora, Linda Waimarie

subjects: Indigenous psychology; Maori flourishing; social identity; social and emotional wellbeing

abstract: A strong sense of who one is and that one’s life matters is vital to health and wellbeing. Without meaning and belonging many people, families and communities lie open to the risk of mental illness, addiction, transience, criminality, suicide and so on. In a rapidly changing social and technological environment where being Maori is enacted in the face of a dominant Pakeha majority, and in an increasingly diverse Maori world, staying well is an important challenge that we cannot underestimate or take for granted. There are many unwellness forces upon Maori in this fast changing world. Some are obvious and readily felt, others not so easy to apprehend or explain. Surveying almost 30 years of research, Professor Nikora will examine some of these unwellness forces and responses Maori make within the broader quest to remain indigenous and to flourish.

text: Maori Flourishing in a Fast Changing World - Inaugural Professorial Address A strong sense of who one is and that one’s life matters is vital to health and wellbeing. Without meaning and belonging many people, families and communities lie open to the risk of mental illness, addiction, transience, criminality, suicide and so on. In a rapidly changing social and technological environment where being Maori is enacted in the face of a dominant Pakeha majority, and in an increasingly diverse Maori world, staying well is an important challenge that we cannot underestimate or take for granted. There are many unwellness forces upon Maori in this fast changing world. Some are obvious and readily felt, others not so easy to apprehend or explain. Surveying almost 30 years of research, Professor Nikora will examine some of these unwellness forces and responses Maori make within the broader quest to remain indigenous and to flourish.

year: 2015-11-17