Prehistory and paths in the upper Purari River basin

Abstract

One hundred kilometres inland from the Gulf of Papua, on the very fringes of the highlands of Papua New Guinea reside the Pawaia. The dense rain forest bordering the upper Purari River basin is the homeland of approximately 800 Pawaia-speaking people. From Gurimatu to the north of the Hathor Gorge to Uri just south of the proposed Wabo Dam site, the population is very sparse indeed (Figs. 1, 2). The everyday affairs of the Pawaia revolve around the kombati or temporary camp which is established as the need arises to exploit a variety of resources. Sago stands are of paramount importance to the Pawaia; however, these are interspersed with gardens and stands of tended nut trees. Kombati structures are fragile and would leave little evidence for the prehistoric record. No prehistoric habitation site had been recorded in the basin. The rough terrain and lush vegetation when coupled with the impermanent material culture of the Pawaia people would not be conducive to the preservation of prehistoric sites. The activities carried out on the site of the kombati would also leave very little physical evidence behind insofar as the materials used in these daily activities are for the most part equally perishable. One might expect at the best to find some scattered charcoal, perhaps a few bits of stone tools, discarded animal bones and the occasional shell ornament, lost or broken. Nor large midden heaps of shell fish would be found, nor would one expect to find deposits of discarded pottery nor sizeable quantities of waste flakes remaining from flaked tool production.