Phase 2: Mounded Cultivation During the Mid Holocene

Archaeological evidence from Kuk Swamp in the highlands of New Guinea reveals the earliest unequivocal proof of mounded cultivation, dating between 6950 and 6440 years ago. This discovery challenges earlier debates about whether land use practices at Kuk constituted agriculture, providing definitive support for its classification as such. The study contrasts with previous claims that such evidence was insufficient, instead offering robust data from Kuk and comparable mid-Holocene sites in the Wahgi Valley, including Mugumamp and Warrawau. The findings underscore New Guinea's role in the independent origins of agriculture, reinforcing arguments for early agricultural development in the region. This research builds on extensive investigations at Kuk, which have served as a benchmark for interpreting similar finds across highland sites.

Denham, T., Golson, J., & Hughes, P. (2017). Phase 2: Mounded Cultivation During the Mid Holocene. Ten Thousand Years of Cultivation at Kuk Swamp in the Highlands of Papua New Guinea. https://doi.org/10.22459/ta46.07.2017.12