Papers by Ariana Lambrides
The Oxford Handbook of Island and Coastal Archaeology, 2024
Engagement with coastal and marine landscapes was crucial in the sociocultural transformation of ... more Engagement with coastal and marine landscapes was crucial in the sociocultural transformation of people as they moved into Australia during the Pleistocene. While the earliest evidence for Aboriginal interaction with coastlines and islands was drowned by postglacial sea-level rise, ongoing research programs are documenting a rich narrative of coastal occupational resilience, in concert with fluctuating sea levels. Direct evidence for Aboriginal use of coastal environments now extend to 50,000 years ago. By the middle Holocene, archaeological evidence for coastal and island occupation appears to proliferate around the continent, which is likely associated with the emergence of maritime specialist economies. As the largest island continent settled by modern people with maritime capabilities and coastal adaptations, we anticipate that future work will continue to contribute to dialogues about the emergence of island societies globally.
Journal of Pacific Archaeology , 2016
The identification and analysis of 1583 bones from colonisation (~2700 cal BP) to late period (po... more The identification and analysis of 1583 bones from colonisation (~2700 cal BP) to late period (post-800 cal BP) cultural layers from archaeological site AS-13-41 on Ofu Island, American Samoa are reported. The assemblage is dominated by fish (~91 per cent; NISP = 1435, MNI = 162) with bones of human, Green Sea Turtle, sea birds (shearwaters and petrels) and a terrestrial bird (Buff-Banded Rail), as well as the commensals Pacific Rat, chicken (Red Junglefowl) and pig. We report here the first prehistoric records of Pacific Flying Fox (Pteropus tonganus) and the endemic Tooth-Billed Pigeon (Manumea, Didunculus strigirostris) from colonisation layers and two pelagic fish species only recorded from late prehistoric deposits: Mahi-mahi (Coryphaena hippurus) and flying fish (Exocoetidae). These and numerous genus-level fish identifications of surgeonfish (Acanthuridae), squirrelfish and soldierfish (Holocentridae), snapper (Lutjanidae) and parrotfish (Scaridae) are additional new fish records for Samoan prehistory reflecting the breadth of the fish reference collection as well as the practice of using all fish bones for identification; ~37 per cent of bones were assigned to family. Colonisation period deposits are characterised by greater quantities of fish, turtle and bird bones, declining towards later prehistory signalling the likely effects of human predation and an increasing emphasis towards agricultural production.
The Oxford Handbook of the Archaeology of Indigenous Australia and New Guinea, 2021
Fishing was and remains an important subsistence activity of many coastal and inland Indigenous p... more Fishing was and remains an important subsistence activity of many coastal and inland Indigenous peoples of Australia and New Guinea. The range of ethnographically known fishing methods used to obtain freshwater and marine fishes is similar across the two regions. This ethnographic picture of diversity and complexity is not matched archaeologically, where stone-walled fish traps dominate. Archaeological research on stone-walled fish traps has focused on technical dimensions (e.g., mapping, classification, and dating) and social dimensions (e.g., gender, social complexity, and social organization). Stone- walled fish traps can transform the social and ecological landscape and, in an archaeological context, provide an opportunity to explore decision making and the sociocultural changes associated with the installation of these fixed-in-place facilities. Relevant social organizational changes with potential material correlates amenable to archaeological research include the restructuring of residential sites; interregional gatherings and exchange relationships; aquatic resource enhancement and regularization; and ownership and control of facilities and resources, including territorial partitioning of land- and seascapes.
Archaeological records documenting the timing and use of northern Great Barrier Reef offshore isl... more Archaeological records documenting the timing and use of northern Great Barrier Reef offshore islands by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples throughout the Holocene are limited when compared to the central and southern extents of the region. Excavations on Lizard Island, located 33 km from Cape Flattery on the mainland, provide high resolution evidence for periodic, yet sustained offshore island use over the past 4000 years, with focused exploitation of diverse marine resources and manufacture of quartz artefacts. An increase in island use occurs from around 2250 years ago, at a time when a hiatus or reduction in offshore island occupation has been documented for other Great Barrier Reef islands, but concurrent with demographic expansion across Torres Strait to the north. Archaeological evidence from Lizard Island provides a previously undocumented occupation pattern associated with Great Barrier Reef Late Holocene island use. We suggest this trajectory of Lizard Island occupation was underwritten by its place within the Coral Sea Cultural Interaction Sphere, which may highlight its significance both locally and regionally across this vast seascape.
Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports, 2019
Marine fisheries have been a critical part of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people’s conne... more Marine fisheries have been a critical part of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people’s connection to land and sea country in Queensland, Australia for millennia. However, no archaeological studies have examined regional variability in the role of fish within subsistence regimes or the distribution of targeted fish species throughout the Holocene. We utilised a meta-analysis approach to conduct the first comprehensive assessment of Indigenous fisheries along the eastern Queensland coast. Data from 44 archaeological sites were grouped according to marine bioregion to facilitate broad comparison between sites across the study area. These sites were pre-dominantly associated with mid-to-late Holocene occupation, and provided an assemblage of 45,052 recovered fish bones, of which 6606 were identified most commonly to family-level. Results indicate clear geographic patterning in the ubiquity of fish species captured, and for some marine bioregions an increase through time in the range of species targeted. Archaeological data indicate mixed species fisheries, with a complex range of habitats and diverse fish species harvested by people in relative proximity to the sites. These harvesting decisions were mediated by local ecological knowledge, awareness of fish behaviour, and cultural preference for certain species. These outcomes support existing models for the region, which document a shift in subsistence regimes during the mid-to-late Holocene, particularly an increased reliance on marine resources and expansion in diet breadth. Future research needs to address geographic gaps in data availability and implement globally re-cognised ichthyoarchaeological quantification and identification protocols to comprehensively examine geo-graphic and temporal variability in Queensland’s Holocene Indigenous fisheries, and contribute to regional models of long-term subsistence change.
Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports, 2019
Offshore island colonisation and use around the northern Australian coastline in the mid-to-late ... more Offshore island colonisation and use around the northern Australian coastline in the mid-to-late Holocene is associated with expanding Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander populations and intensifying land-use activities. However, few explicit tests of the long-term effects of shellfish forager decision-making and associated impacts on intertidal ecosystems in these newly colonised island environments have been undertaken. We report morphometric analyses on two key reef flat Great Barrier Reef shellfish species, strawberry conch Conomurex luhuanus (n = 360) and top shell Rochia nilotica (n = 45), from two late Holocene archaeological shell midden assemblages on Lizard Island, northeast Queensland. Human foraging pressure was assessed through reconstructions of population age structure across time, highlighting the importance of determining size-at-age habitat preferences and species behaviour patterns when assessing long-term anthropogenic impacts on shellfish populations. Results show no evidence for resource depression across the late Holocene which is broadly in keeping with previous findings at other locales on the Great Barrier Reef, but contrary to expectations of resource intensification models. We conclude that the rich and abundant resources of reef flat environments were resilient to relatively low intensity and likely episodic Indigenous foraging. This sustainability contrasts with the scale and impacts of intensive industrialised harvesting in the historic period.
Eiao Island (39.2 km2, 577 m elevation), situated at the northern extent of the Marquesas Archipe... more Eiao Island (39.2 km2, 577 m elevation), situated at the northern extent of the Marquesas Archipelago, features rocky and steep coastlines with few sheltered embayments that allow easy access to the sea and marine resources. We report the first evidence of prehistoric fishing practices from Eiao Island based on three inland sites (possibly dating from the 14th to 17th centuries), and explore variation in fish exploitation. All previous archaeological fishing records from the archipelago are from coastal sites, with inland Eiao Island assemblages offering comparative data on site location and taxonomic composition. The Eiao Island fish bone assemblages are dominated by piscivorous taxa, specifically grouper (Serranidae). Few tuna, mackerel and bonito (Scombridae) remains were recovered from the Eiao Island assemblages, compared to reports from Ua Pou, Tahuata and Ua Huka. New family-level taxonomic records added for the archipelago include: bonefish (Albulidae), requiem sharks (Carcharhinidae), butterflyfish (Chaetodontidae), flagtail (Kuhliidae), damselfish (Pomacentridae) and rabbitfish (Siganidae). These results further contribute to our understanding of prehistoric Marquesan fishing practices and allow elucidation of subsistence in coastal versus inland settings, variability in taxonomic composition between islands of the archipelago, and importantly inform on human-environment interactions in East Polynesia.
Archaeologists routinely reconstruct the types of marine environments fished by past human societ... more Archaeologists routinely reconstruct the types of marine environments fished by past human societies in order to understand economic systems, foraging behaviour, maritime technology and seafaring abilities. These reconstructions are based on ecological data provided by archaeofish identifications, but can be problematic where coarse-grained designations, such as inshore or pelagic, are used, or the influence of fish behaviour and life history traits on movement between habitats is overlooked. In tropical waters, intra-family diversity complicates habitat reconstruction by precluding lower-level taxonomic identifications that provide precise habitat information (e.g. surge channels, dropoffs). Consequently, a single generalised habitat may be imposed on fishes that could be caught in multiple environments, thereby eroding the reliability of fishing zone reconstructions. This study employs the archaeofish assemblage from Chelechol ra Orrak (c. 3000–0 BP), Palau to examine the analytical impact of these variables on fishing habitat reconstruction based on a blind assessment of taxon-derived environmental data by two analysts. We assesses how analysts' variable decision protocols for the handling of imprecise environmental data impact resulting habitat exploitation profiles. Our results address the issue of spatial resolution in habitat information gleaned from fish assemblages like Orrak's, with important implications for the interpretation of foraging practices and maritime adaptations. R ´ ESUMÉ Très souvent les archéologues reconstituent les types de milieux marins pêchés par les sociétés humaines du passé pour comprendre les systèmeséconomiques, le comportement alimentaire, la technologie maritime et les capacités maritimes. Ces reconstructions sont basées sur des donnéesécologiques fournis par les identifications des poissons archéologiques, mais cela peutêtre problématique lors des désignations générales, tels que les eauxcôtì eres ou pélagiques sont utilisés, ou l'influence du comportement des poissons et les caractéristiques de l'histoire de la vie en mouvement entre les habitats sont ignorés. Dans les eaux tropicales, la diversité intrafamiliale complique la reconstruction de l'habitat en excluant le niveau inférieur des identifications taxonomiques qui fournissent des informations plus précises de l'habitat (i.e. les canaux de surtension, des tombants). Par conséquent, un seul habitat généralisé peutêtre imposée sur des poissons qui pourraientêtre pris dans multiples milieux, affaiblissant ainsi la fiabilité des reconstructions de la zone de pêche. Cetté etude utilise l'agglomérat des poissons archéologiques de Chelechol ra Orrak (environ 3000–0 AP), Palau pour examiner l'impact analytique de ces variables de la reconstruction de l'habitat de la pêche, basée sur uné evaluation aveugle des données environnementales taxon-dérivées par deux analystes. Nousévaluons comment les variables, décision-protocoles des analystes dans le traitement des données environnementales imprécises impactent les résultats des profils de l'exploitation de l'habitat. Nos résultats portent sur la question de la résolution spatiale de l'information de l'habitat, extraitè a partir de l'amas de poissons comme l'Orrak, avec des implications importantes pour l'interprétation des pratiques de recherche de nourriture et des adaptations maritimes. Mots Clés: ˆ Iles Carolines, reconstruction paléoenvironnementale, archéo-ichtyologiques, archéozoologie, pêche des poissons pélagiques, pêche sur le récif
Archaeologists routinely reconstruct the types of marine environments fished by past human societ... more Archaeologists routinely reconstruct the types of marine environments fished by past human societies in order to understand economic systems, foraging behaviour, maritime technology and seafaring abilities. These reconstructions are based on ecological data provided by archaeofish identifications, but can be problematic where coarse-grained designations, such as inshore or pelagic, are used, or the influence of fish behaviour and life history traits on movement between habitats is overlooked. In tropical waters, intra-family diversity complicates habitat reconstruction by precluding lower-level taxonomic identifications that provide precise habitat information (e.g. surge channels, dropoffs). Consequently, a single generalised habitat may be imposed on fishes that could be caught in multiple environments, thereby eroding the reliability of fishing zone reconstructions. This study employs the archaeofish assemblage from Chelechol ra Orrak (c. 3000–0 BP), Palau to examine the analytical impact of these variables on fishing habitat reconstruction based on a blind assessment of taxon-derived environmental data by two analysts. We assesses how analysts' variable decision protocols for the handling of imprecise environmental data impact resulting habitat exploitation profiles. Our results address the issue of spatial resolution in habitat information gleaned from fish assemblages like Orrak's, with important implications for the interpretation of foraging practices and maritime adaptations. R ´ ESUMÉ Très souvent les archéologues reconstituent les types de milieux marins pêchés par les sociétés humaines du passé pour comprendre les systèmeséconomiques, le comportement alimentaire, la technologie maritime et les capacités maritimes. Ces reconstructions sont basées sur des donnéesécologiques fournis par les identifications des poissons archéologiques, mais cela peutêtre problématique lors des désignations générales, tels que les eauxcôtì eres ou pélagiques sont utilisés, ou l'influence du comportement des poissons et les caractéristiques de l'histoire de la vie en mouvement entre les habitats sont ignorés. Dans les eaux tropicales, la diversité intrafamiliale complique la reconstruction de l'habitat en excluant le niveau inférieur des identifications taxonomiques qui fournissent des informations plus précises de l'habitat (i.e. les canaux de surtension, des tombants). Par conséquent, un seul habitat généralisé peutêtre imposée sur des poissons qui pourraientêtre pris dans multiples milieux, affaiblissant ainsi la fiabilité des reconstructions de la zone de pêche. Cetté etude utilise l'agglomérat des poissons archéologiques de Chelechol ra Orrak (environ 3000–0 AP), Palau pour examiner l'impact analytique de ces variables de la reconstruction de l'habitat de la pêche, basée sur uné evaluation aveugle des données environnementales taxon-dérivées par deux analystes. Nousévaluons comment les variables, décision-protocoles des analystes dans le traitement des données environnementales imprécises impactent les résultats des profils de l'exploitation de l'habitat. Nos résultats portent sur la question de la résolution spatiale de l'information de l'habitat, extraitè a partir de l'amas de poissons comme l'Orrak, avec des implications importantes pour l'interprétation des pratiques de recherche de nourriture et des adaptations maritimes. Mots Clés: ˆ Iles Carolines, reconstruction paléoenvironnementale, archéo-ichtyologiques, archéozoologie, pêche des poissons pélagiques, pêche sur le récif
The identification and analysis of 1583 bones from colonisation (~2700 cal BP) to late period (po... more The identification and analysis of 1583 bones from colonisation (~2700 cal BP) to late period (post-800 cal BP) cultural layers from archaeological site AS-13–41 on Ofu Island, American Samoa are reported. The assemblage is dominated by fish (~91 per cent; NISP = 1435, MNI = 162) with bones of human, Green Sea Turtle, sea birds (shearwaters and petrels) and a terrestrial bird (Buff-Banded Rail), as well as the commensals Pacific Rat, chicken (Red Junglefowl) and pig. We report here the first prehistoric records of Pacific Flying Fox (Pteropus tonganus) and the endemic Tooth-Billed Pigeon
(Manumea, Didunculus strigirostris) from colonisation layers and two pelagic fish species only recorded from late prehistoric deposits: Mahi-mahi (Coryphaena hippurus) and flying fish (Exocoetidae). These and numerous genus-level fish identifications of surgeonfish (Acanthuridae), squirrelfish and soldierfish (Holocentridae), snapper (Lutjanidae) and
parrotfish (Scaridae) are additional new fish records for Samoan prehistory reflecting the breadth of the fish reference collection as well as the practice of using all fish bones for identification; ~37 per cent of bones were assigned to family. Colonisation period deposits are characterised by greater quantities of fish, turtle and bird bones, declining towards later prehistory signalling the likely effects of human predation and an increasing emphasis towards agricultural production.
Significant differences between fish bone identification protocols in Pacific Island archaeology ... more Significant differences between fish bone identification protocols in Pacific Island archaeology and other regions (e.g. Europe and North America) have influenced the use of vertebral morphometrics for the reconstruction of fish length and weight. Fish vertebral morphometrics using vertebrae identified to taxon and type (e.g. caudal, thoracic) are routinely reported in the archaeological literature outside of the Pacific Islands. Conversely, in Pacific Island archaeological fishing studies, vertebrae that are not identified to taxon have been utilised to assess change in average fish vertebrae size, and to reconstruct changes in fish length and weight over time. Using a fish bone assemblage from a prehistoric habitation site on Ebon Atoll, Republic of the Marshall Islands, we report false trends when vertebrae – not identified to taxon and type – are used to assess differences in average vertebrae size among cultural layers. These results are compared to the same assemblage where taxon and vertebra type are used to more accurately determine fish size. It is essential that vertebrae from Pacific Island fish bone assemblages are identified to taxon and type prior to assessing change in fish size over time, especially when investigating human impacts to finfish resources, capture technology or charting environmental change.
Three fish bone identification protocols used for determining taxa composition for Pacific Island... more Three fish bone identification protocols used for determining taxa composition for Pacific Island archaeofaunal assemblages are evaluated. The protocols include using the following: (1) the most commonly identified five paired cranial bones and ‘specials’ or unique elements; (2) an expanded number of cranial bones; and (3) the less common inclusion of all vertebrae. Explicit identification and quantification protocols are outlined for systematically incorporating all vertebrae which, predictably, increases the number of identified specimens for an assemblage, thus providing more bones useful for reconstructing live fish biomass (weight and length). Significantly, a range of unique archaeological vertebrae are useful for calculating minimum number of individuals. Using a well-preserved assemblage from Henderson Island, Pitcairn Group, southeast Polynesia, numbering 6480 fish bones (concentration index = 21 580 m3), we demonstrate differences in rank-order abundance from three taxon identification protocols. For example, when using all vertebrae grouper (Serranidae) and surgeonfishes (Acanthuridae) are more numerically equivalent than when relying mostly on cranial bones for identification for minimum number of individuals and number of identified specimens. This has important implications for making comparisons between sites or across regions where different identification protocols were used. This pilot study demonstrates that using all vertebrae for taxon identification and quantification, not just unique hypurals (terminal vertebrae) or those from sharks and rays (Elasmobranchii), should be standard practice for identifying a greater number of bones to taxon and thereby providing better reconstructions of prehistoric fishing and subsistence practices in the Pacific. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
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Papers by Ariana Lambrides
(Manumea, Didunculus strigirostris) from colonisation layers and two pelagic fish species only recorded from late prehistoric deposits: Mahi-mahi (Coryphaena hippurus) and flying fish (Exocoetidae). These and numerous genus-level fish identifications of surgeonfish (Acanthuridae), squirrelfish and soldierfish (Holocentridae), snapper (Lutjanidae) and
parrotfish (Scaridae) are additional new fish records for Samoan prehistory reflecting the breadth of the fish reference collection as well as the practice of using all fish bones for identification; ~37 per cent of bones were assigned to family. Colonisation period deposits are characterised by greater quantities of fish, turtle and bird bones, declining towards later prehistory signalling the likely effects of human predation and an increasing emphasis towards agricultural production.
(Manumea, Didunculus strigirostris) from colonisation layers and two pelagic fish species only recorded from late prehistoric deposits: Mahi-mahi (Coryphaena hippurus) and flying fish (Exocoetidae). These and numerous genus-level fish identifications of surgeonfish (Acanthuridae), squirrelfish and soldierfish (Holocentridae), snapper (Lutjanidae) and
parrotfish (Scaridae) are additional new fish records for Samoan prehistory reflecting the breadth of the fish reference collection as well as the practice of using all fish bones for identification; ~37 per cent of bones were assigned to family. Colonisation period deposits are characterised by greater quantities of fish, turtle and bird bones, declining towards later prehistory signalling the likely effects of human predation and an increasing emphasis towards agricultural production.