Archaeological Research in Micronesia During the Past Decade

Takayama, Jun (1982-01-01). "Archaeological Research in Micronesia During the Past Decade". Bulletin of the Indo-Pacific Prehistory Association. 3 (0): 95–114. doi:10.7152/bippa.v3i0.11195. ISSN 0156-1316 1835-1794, 0156-1316 .

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Abstract: “Archaeological Research in Micronesia During the Past Decade” provides a comprehensive overview of archaeological activities and findings in various regions of Micronesia over the last ten years. The article is organized in a chronological order of expeditions, led by Japanese researchers and their colleagues, and covers several geographical areas including the Mariana Islands, Truk (Chuuk) Islands, Palau Islands, Yap Islands, the atolls of the Western and Eastern Carolines, Ponape (Pohnpei) Island, and the Marshall Islands.

The paper details specific archaeological discoveries in these areas. For instance, in the Mariana Islands, test excavations indicated the absence of Marianas Red pottery and attributed the earliest pottery to Marianas Plainware from around A.D. 1325 ± 90 [3]. In the Truk Islands, prehistoric pottery was first discovered on Fefan Island through dredging operations, challenging previous linguistic assumptions about the colonization by people bearing the Lapita culture.

The research also reveals the presence of domestic animals in Truk, traces showing the appearance of dogs and later cats and fowls around European contact times. In the Western Carolines, test excavations uncovered evidence of pottery production dating back to around the time of Christ, with implications for initial settlement dates of some atolls.

In the postscript of the article, important new findings from petrographic analyses of sherds highlight unexpected connections, such as a possible link to the Philippines and Palauan pottery on Ngulu Atoll, though not from the Marianas despite historical voyaging accounts. The article concludes with a discussion on the broader implications of recent archaeological surveys, which challenge earlier beliefs about regional differences, artifact distribution, and the role of atoll archaeology.