ABSTRACT
Current understanding of agricultural origins and change has been dominated by archaeological research conducted in very dry environments where ancient plants, particularly seeds, have been well preserved: e.g. Mesoamerica, Peru, and the ‘fertile crescent’ of South-west Asia (cf. Smith 1995; Gebauer and Price 1992; Cowan and Watson 1992). These biases in the preservation of data have provided archaeologists with a very partial view, but one which nevertheless underlies many general theories about the role of agriculture in the development of sedentary villages, hierarchical societies, etc. Not surprisingly, these theories do not fit the picture of social change that is coming to light as a result of recent discoveries in tropical regions (e.g. studies in Hather 1994b) and particularly in Papua New Guinea where agriculture was practised as early as in the traditional centres of civilization, but where it does not appear to have led society in the same directions. Since those new data are contrary to their theories, many archaeologists have ignored (e.g. Gebauer and Price 1992; Cowan and Watson 1992) or are reluctant to accept (e.g. Smith 1995) Golson’s (1991a, 1991b; Golson and Gardner 1990) the discovery of agriculture in the Highlands of Papua New Guinea as early as 9,000 years ago.
