Kuk Early Agricultural Site
Kuk
Papua New Guinea · Western Highlands
In brief
Excavations at Kuk Swamp have revealed that wetlands were modified for agriculture in stages. Cultivation mounds and drainage systems are important evidence of the independent development of agriculture in New Guinea. Residential remains have also been investigated at the site alongside evidence of farming.
What was found?
- 1Drainage ditches
Ancient ditches dug to drain water from swampy land. Their changing layouts across different phases show how agricultural methods transformed over time.
- 2Cultivation mounds
Traces of raised planting arrangements for growing plants on wet land. UNESCO considers these among the agricultural practices preceding ditch drainage systems.
- 3Wooden digging sticks
Wooden digging sticks of different lengths have been found at Kuk. They provide direct examples of tools used to work the soil.
- 4House remains and wooden stakes
House remains, structural timbers, and fence stakes from the settlement's later phases have been identified. These allow the relationship between agricultural land and settlement areas to be examined.
What does it point to?
Kuk shows that people transformed a swamp environment into productive land through prolonged modification. According to researchers, the findings support the independent development of agriculture in New Guinea; tools and structures from different phases should not be considered contemporary.
What did it teach us?
- Provided evidence that New Guinea was one of the regions where agriculture developed independently.
- Documented the transition from plant exploitation to agriculture approximately 6,500 years ago.
- Revealed technical change from cultivation mounds to extensive drainage ditches.
Images
Record
- Culture
- New Guinea highland farming communities
- Team / historical
- Australian National University; Tim Denham for the most recently documented work in 1998–1999
- Coordinates
- -5.7837°, 144.3317°
Sources
- whc.unesco.org
- press-files.anu.edu.au
- archives.anu.edu.au
- ANU Press — Kuk buluntularının keşfi ve korunması
- ANU Press — Ahşap buluntular
Nearby excavations
- Madjedbebe Rock Shelter 1,461 km
- Nan Madol 2,094 km
- Liang Bua Cave 2,653 km
- Leang Bulu Bettue 2,732 km
- Teouma Lapita Cemetery 2,933 km
- Trowulan 3,533 km
- —
- —
- 12.000
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