Revisiting NFB: Ceramic technology in the Eastern Highlands of Papua New Guinea at 3200 calBP.

This paper adds to the emerging body of evidence for 3000-year-old pottery in the highlands of Papua New Guinea. Through detailed review of the archives of the original excavation, it becomes clear that the earliest pottery at the NFB site in the Eastern Highlands dates to 3133-3379 calBP (UW 261), thereby necessitating revision of current models for the geographical and chronological distribution of ceramic technology. These finds are approximately the same age as the earliest ceramics thus far known from the Central Highlands, demonstrating that early pottery was present across the northern flank of the highlands along the Ramu River watershed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]