I of Pamwak site, I Manus Island, PNG. Fauna1 composition. Manus Island 6. I Figure 1 Map showing Manus Island, Papua New Guinea.

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1 Fauna composton I of Pamwak ste, I Manus Island, PNG Corre Wllams Archaeologst Fauna analyss of an archaeologcal ste can gve an ndcaton of the movement and nteracton of people wth ther envronment. Technologcal changes (such as technologes assocated wth fshng) may be ndcated by alteraton n faunal composton through tme. Ths paper s desgned to present the faunal composton of Pamwak ste, PNG, and changes n that composton. The paper concentrates on the presencelabsence of anmals n the ste rather than dscussons of MNI (Mnmum Number of Indvduals). The two factors whch nfluenced ths dscusson were the slopng stratgraphy (causng possble mxng of dfferent aged faunal assemblages), and the analyss of the bulk resdue (dscussed later). Manus Island 6 W PAPUA NEW GUINEA I Fgure Map showng Manus Island, Papua New Gunea. L

2 242 V Le Pacfaue de 5000 a 2000 avant le ~r6sent /The Pacfc from 5000 to 2000 BP Method The Ste Pamwak ste s stuated on Manus Island, Manus Provnce, PNG. It was dug n 989 and 990 by W. Ambrose, M. Sprggs and C. Fredrcksen. It s a rockshelter ste 4 km from the Manus Island south coast (Fgure ). An area of 4 square m was excavated. 5 cm spts were taken by quadrat for each of the four squares (see Fgure 2). Materal was wet screened through.4 mm mosquto-wre mesh and sorted n the feld. Bulk samples of the screen resdue materal were kept for later laboratory sortng of selected quadrats of the ste. C4 dates taken from charcoal, shell and Celts seeds range back to 2,000 BP (4,000 BP calbrated). AMS dates for the ste are currently beng processed. The stratgraphy and artfact assemblage of the ste are descrbed n Fredrcksen et al. (993). North 0 S 3 m 5 a X a m 4nw 4ne l.. ".- Fgure 2 Pamwak excavaton, plan vew. 3nw I 3ne l. 4sw I 4se j j 2nw l I 2ne. "". j 2sw l 2se ; I " " -- ~ S W I I! 3se l I rw / Ine " j! Isw Ise! Pm

3 C. WILLIAM~ - Faunal composton of Pamwak ste, Manus Island, PNG V 243 Bulk sample analyss Analyss of the bulk sample from the screen resdue was undertaken to quantfy the loss of bone durng excavaton and feld sortng. The bulk sample was the screen resdue kept after the orgnal (non-bulk) sample was feld sorted. All of the bulk fragments were counted, the greatest partcle length measured and then dentfed as far as possble. T-tests were used to determne the sze smlarty of the bulk and non-bulk samples. Results Results of bulk resdue analyss The sze of bulk and the non-bulk materal was the same. Overall the sze decreased wth depth. Speces of anurans (frogs) were the only taxa whch were recorded n the bulk samples when not already present n the non-bulk sample. Postcranal element numbers were depressed by up to 50% n the orgnal sample when compared wth the bulk sample. Cranals elements were mssed to a lesser degree. The Fauna Identfable bone was recovered down to spt 29a. Small peces of hghly degraded bone were recovered below ths but could not be dentfed. Most of the fsh n the sequence are onshore or reef speces. Two groups, the Sphyraendae and Scombrdae, are pelagc fsh, although speces wthn these groups are known to venture nearshore nto shallow waters. The sngle scombrd occurs n Square 2 Spt 5b (approx 8730+/-30). The Sphyraendae occur at Sq4/2b, SQ2/2a,4a, 5a (later than 060+/-90) (see Table ). Square One (Fg. 3 and 4) The Bandcoot Echmpem kalubu frst appears n the square at spt 5a (approx 2400+/-480 BP).

4 244 V Le Pacfque de 5000 B 2000 avant le present / The Pacfc from 5000 to 2000 BP Mammals Splocuscus kraemer (Admralty Cuscus) Echmpera kalubu (Common Echmpera Bandcoot) Pteropus hypomelanus (Varable Flyng-Fox) P. admraltatum (Admralty Flyng-Fox) P. neohbemcus (Great Flyng-Fox) Hppersderos maggelaylorae (Magge Taylor's Horseshoe Bat) Melomys sp. (Manus Melomys) Rattus ranus (Black Rat) R. mordax (Eastern Rat) R. praetor (Large Spny Rat) Brds Ralldae cf Porphyro (Swamphen) Por~h~ro Ardedae d Nyctorax (Rulous Nght Heron) caledoncus Podcepeddae (Grebes) Amphban Anura (Frogs and Salamanders) Reptles Tlqua sp. Varandae Gekkondae Scncdae Bony Fsh Platycephaldae Serrandae Lutjandae Nempterdae Pomadasydae Lethrndae Spardae Sphyraendae Labrdae Scaldae Scombrdae Balstdae Dcdontdae (Bue Tongue Lzard) (Varand Lzard) (Gekkond Lzard) (Skncd Lzard) (Flatheads) (Gropers, Coral Ccd) (Snappers, Bass, Seaperch) (Sea Breams) (Grunters, Javeln Fsh) (Emperors) (Slver Breams) (Barracudas) (Wrasses) (Parrot Fshes) (Mackerels, large Scaled Tuna) (Trgger Fshes) (Porcupne Fshes) Table Fauna lst from Pamwak Ste, Manus Island, PNG. The fauna composton of the ste s shown, by square, n Fgures 3 to 0 and dscussed below. Melomys sp. occurs at spt 25a, but there s an nconsstency wth the C4 dates at ths level and further AMS dates are beng processed. Murd sp. (from post-cranals) occur throughout the ste although none are recorded n the top two spts. Unlke the mammals, the reptles, fsh and amphbans are recorded throughout most of the levels. Square Two (Fg. 5 and 6) E.kalubu frst appears n spt 5a and contnues untl the present. The small cuscus Splocuscus kraemer frst appears at spt 3b (approx.,000 BP). The occurrence of Rattus rattus at the lower depths (.e. Spt 5b) s surprsng, and accordngly ths dentfcaton (from four mandbles) s under revew. Rattuspraetor frst appears at approxmately 9000 BP. R. mordax s present towards the top of the sequence (Spts 3 and 4). The larger bats frst occur at around Spt 5b. Fsh and amphbans extend throughout depth. A sngle Scombrd occurs n Square 2 Spt 5b dated at /-l 30 BP, The Sphyraends occur at Square 2 spts 2a, 4a and 5a (later than 060+/-90 BP). A sngle brd s recorded from Spt 7B and has been assgned to the famly Podcepeddae (Grebes).

5 C. WILLIAMS - Faunal composton of Pamwak ste, Manus Island, PNG V 245 SPIT , ;D: ;=... : : : :,.. j : : : Fgure 3 I Fgure 4 Mammal speces by depth for Square One. Black flled boxes ndcate postcranal bones, whte flled boxes ndcate cranal bones. Non mammal speces by depth for Square One Black flled boxes ndcate postcranal bones, whte flled boxes ndcate cranal bones. SPIT I Fgure 5 Mammal speces by depth for Square Two. Black flled boxes ndcate postcranal bones, whte flled boxes ndcate cranal bones. I Fgure 6 Non mammal speces by depth Two Square Two. Black flled boxes ndcate postcranal bones, whte flled boxes ndcate cranal bones.

6 246 v Le Pacfque de 5000 a 2000 avant le present / The Pacfc from 5000 to 2000 BP SPll $9' SPlT Fgure 7 Mammal speces by depth for Square Three. Black flled boxes ndcate postcranal bones. whte flled boxes ndcate cranal bones. Fgure 8 Non mammal speces by depth for Square Three. Black flled boxes ndcate postcranal bones, whte flled boxes ndcate cranal bones. SPlT I Fgure 9 Mammal speces by depth for Square Four. Black flled boxes ndcate postcranal bones. whte flled boxes ndcate cranal bones. I Fgure 0 Non mammal speces by depth for Square Four. Black flled boxes ndcate postcranal bones, whte flled boxes ndcate cranal bones.

7 C. WILLIAM~ - Faunal composton of Pamwak ste, Manus Island, PNG V 247 Square Three (Fg. 7 and 8) Ths square was excavated to 95 cm. The lmted depth mrrors the fauna patterns seen n the other squares. The rats, R. praetor and R. mordax occur n the same levels, although R. mordax contnues to occur at the top of the sequence when R. praetor s no longer recorded. Square Four (F. 9 and 0) Excavated to 70 cm depth ths square dsplays a sold record of the bandcoot, large bats and the murds. Ths square had the greatest numbers and dversty of bats recorded. Once agan, the presence of R. rattus ( ndvdual) requres further nvestgaton. The brd from Spt 2B s from the famly Ralldae and the other (Spt 4B) s assgned to the famly Ardedae. It s smlar to the Rufous Nght Heron Nyctcorax caledoncus, but further materal s needed to confrm the dentfcaton. ASphyraend fsh occurs at Square 4 Spt 2b, dated to 4830+/- 230 BP. Dscusson Implcatons of Bulk Analyss The sze of a bone was not a sgnfcant factor n ts frequency of recovery. The unform overall decrease of sze of bones wth depth may be an ndcator of ste-wde postdepostonal destructon and or compacton. Frogs were the only taxa mssed n excavaton. The element composton was markedly dfferent n the two samples, wth the postcranal elements were often mssed n the nonbulk collecton. Ths has mplcatons for the calculaton and relablty of MNI counts. Any counts of MNI from Pamwak wll requre that spts wth no correspondng bulk resdue be vewed wth cauton. Further dscusson of the analyss of the bulk sample resdue s undertaken n Wllams (997).

8 248 V Le Pacfque de 5000 a 2000 avant le resent /The Pacfc from 5000 to 2000 BP Fauna Change Echmpera kalubu frst appears at approx. 2,000 BP, Ths corresponds to the change n use from stone tool to obsdan (Fredrcksen et al. 993). Reef- and onshore captured fsh also appear n the ste from ths tme onwards. The mplcaton of the bandcoot presence s that t was brought to the sland by people accdentally or as a food source. Splocuscus kraerner, the small Cuscus, frst appears at approx.,000 BP. Ths s an older date than the phalanger (P. orentals) from the Balof shelters (Whte et al. 99) and a younger date than the phalanger (I? orentals) from Panakwuk Ste, New Ireland (Marshal and Allen 99). The Manus lsland Cuscus s a dfferent speces from the one found on New Ireland, and because of ts smaller sze s beleved to have come from a dfferent orgnal populaton from the New Ireland phalanger (Flannery 995). The dentfcaton of Rattus rattus at approx.,000 BP s surprsng, and f t does turn out to be a true artfact of the ste then t wll be the earlest occurrence of ths speces n the regon. The majorty of fsh n the sequence were onshore or reef speces. Two of the recorded groups (the Sphyraendae and Scombrdae) are pelagc, fsh, although ndvduals from these groups may be found n shallow marne waters. Pelagc fsh appear n the ste at approxmately 0,000 to 4,800 BP. Ths suggests the use of sophstcated fshng technologes from at least 0,000 BP. Rattus praetor frst appears at approx. 9,000 BP, and s present n the sequence at the same tme as R. mordax. R. rnordax s present at the top of the sequence when R. praetor s no longer recorded. Ths s n contrast to the Balof shelters where the ntroducton of R. praetor preceeds the extncton of R. mordav (Whte et al. 99). Further Work Measures of bone modfcaton such as breakage, weatherng, burnng, presence of cutmarks and dssoluton have been taken. Once processed, these results wll be analysed to elucdate possble agcnts of accumulaton of the ste. From ntal nspecton t would appear that the fauna accumulated by both human and anmal means. Comparsons wll be carred out between the fauna and human artfact components of the ste. Also, the early presence of R. rattus wll be nvestgated further.

9 C. WILLIAMS - Faunal composton of Pamwak ste, Manus Island, PNG V 249 Acknowledgements I would lke to thank the Amercan Museum of Natural Hstory and my supervsor Dr. P.Vckers-Rch for assstance to attend the Transformaton and Colonsaton Conference n Port Vla. Also Dr. M. Sprggs provded the materal from Pamwak Ste for ths study, and Dr. T. Flannery from the Australan Museum provded mammalan comparatve materal from Manus Island. Thankyou to Dr. P.Vckers- Rch and Mr. M. Coller for ther edtoral support for ths paper. B blographe FLANNERY (T.), Mammals of the Southwest Pacfc and Moluccan Islands. Australan Museum and Reed Books, Sydney. FREDRICKSEN (C.), SPRIGGS (M.), AMBRO~E (W.), "Pamwak rockshelter: A Plestocene ste on Manus Island, Papua New Gunea". In Smth (M.A.) Sprggs (M.), Fankhauser (B.) eds: Sahul n Revew. Canberra Australan Natonal Unversty. Occasonal Papers n Prehstory, No 24. MARWAU (B.), MEN (J.), 99 - "Excavatons at Panakwuk Cave, New Ireland". In Allen (J.), Gosden (C.) eds: Report on the Lapta Homeland Project. Canberra Australan Natonal Unversty. Occasonal Papers n Prehstory, No 20. WHITE (J. P,), FLANNERY (T.F.), O'BRIEN (R.), HANOCK (R.V.), PAVLISH (P,), 99 - "The Balof Shelters, New Ireland". In Allen (J.), Gosden (C.) eds.: Report on the Lapta Homeland Project. Canberra Australan Natonal Unversty, Occasonal Papers n Prehstory, No 20. WILLIAMS, (C.), Analyss of Bulk Resdue at the Pamwak Ste, Manus Island, PNG., Canberra Australan Natonal Unversty, Research Papers n Archaeology.