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Prehistoric stone monuments in the northern region of the Kula Ring

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2015

Simon H. Bickler
Simon H. Bickler*
Affiliation:
Auckland, New Zealand (Email: archaeology@bickler.co.nz)
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Extract

The system of exchange known as the Kula ring practised in recent times by the Trobriand Islanders has provided a powerful model for anthropology, but its roots in prehistory have remained elusive. Focusing on the island of Woodlark, the author and his team have surveyed the stone monuments which characterise the region and here assign them a date and social context. In them, they see evidence for prehistoric chiefdoms anticipating those studied by Malinowski.

Keywords

Papua New GuineaMegalithic monumentsKula ring
Type
Research
Information
Antiquity , Volume 80 , Issue 307 , 1 March 2006 , pp. 38 - 51
Copyright
Copyright © Antiquity Publications Ltd. 2006

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