Chemical Signatures & Social Interactions: Implications of west Fergusson Island obsidian at Hopo, east of the Vailala River (Gulf of Papua), Papua New Guinea

Abstract

Eleven artefacts made of west Fergusson Island obsidian were recovered in beach sands inland from today’s coastline east of the Vailala River in the Gulf of Papua. These artefacts were found some 900 km by sea southwest of their geological source location. They extend the known western limit for incoming obsidian along the south coast of mainland PNG by 155 km. Here we discuss the chemical signatures of these artefacts towards an interpretation of social relations between peoples living on the south coast of PNG after c. 2600 cal BP.