AWA: Academic Writing at Auckland

Horrocks M., Irwin G., Jones M., Sutton D.. 2004. Starch grains and xylem cells of sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas) and bracken (Pteridium esculentum) in archaeological deposits from northern New Zealand. Journal of archaeological science 31:251-258

This article looks at evidence of cultivation of crops on prehistoric coprolites and stone mounds in New Zealand. This is done via starch grains and xylem cell samples to establish what sort of plants were cultivated here and in turn infer the diet of the earliest Polynesian settlers. Horrocks et al. (2004) looked at 13 samples of soil from various sites over New Zealand and found starch grains and xylem cells of sweet potatoes and bracken indicating they were a large part of the early Polynesian diet. This is an appropriate method as these specimen samples can be matched quite accurately to their original plant species and provides direct evidence of cultivation in these areas rather then indirect evidence like early European written documentation. However this was only a preliminary study to test if this method works, and it did. The sample sizes are too small to make any claim at this point, only speculation of what early Polynesian settler’s diet consisted of. This research would need further testing to produce a viable argument.

Neves W. A., Gonzalez-Jose R., Hubbe M., Kipnis R., Araujo A. G. M., Blasi O.. 2004. Early Holocene human skeletal remains from Cerca Grande, Lagoa Santa, Central Brazil, and the origins of the first Americans. World archaeology 36(4): 479-501

This article looks at the crania morphology of some of the earliest settlers of the South America found in Cerca Grande to establish where they came from before they entered America. They do this by comparing the skeletons to other human populations by their measurements being converted to Z scores (to eliminate sexual dimorphism) and put in a computer program. They found that the skeletons showed a relation to Africans, Asians, Australians and Easter Islanders. This showed that they are not like Native Americans and probably did not cross though Beringia therefore supporting the multiple crossings model for settlement of the Americas. A minor problem with this research is that they used a lot of other people’s measurement data instead of their own therefore opening themselves up to the possibility of incorrect results if the other people’s data should be wrong. They could have avoided this by doing all their own measurements. Also there is a bias with this work. It does not account for environmental impacts that may have affected the gene pools of these earlier populations upon entry into the America’s, this study focuses on similar morphological characteristics not genetic DNA lineage or ecological impacts.

Buchanan B., Collard M.. 2007. Investigating the peopling of North America through cladistic analysis of Early Paleoindian projectile points. Journal of anthropological archaeology 26: 366-393

This research looked at evidence for the entry path taken upon entry into the Americas by the Paleoindians. They do this by looking at arrow heads and seeing how similar the heads are from different areas. The idea being that the culture spread and changed slowly from place to place and this change maps out the Paleoindian path. This is a very appropriate study as it uses a very fundamental part of their culture that is readily practiced and therefore found a lot. The measurements are also well done by using arrow heads that are in good condition and found in an assemblage where at least two arrows were found. Also the results have been redone under various conditions restricting the useable data to test the strength and they found the same results pattern pop up each time. The only small problem with this is that it contrasts the results to fit the four models of entry into America and sees which one fits best. It does not account for any other possible entry models that may have occurred.

Hogg A., Higham T., Lowe D., Palmer J., Reimer P., Newnham R.. 2002. A wiggle-match date for Polynesian settlement of New Zealand. Method 60:116-125

This article looks at dating of the Kaharoa Tephra eruption which is found to occur just before human occupation of New Zealand due to human materials not being found below this strata layer. This uses another method ‘wiggle-matching’ along with the radio active dating to get a more accurate reading. By taking samples from a near by tree they create a decay rate graph for the area and get an eruption date of 1314 AD (+- 12). This is an appropriate approach as it uses a southern hemisphere relevant model instead of northern hemisphere model to adjust the radio active dating result. They also do most of their own measurements and calculations. However this is a more indirect approach to dating human arrival since they do not date human remains directly, therefore it is not concrete evidence. There is also the problem too that the sites around this area may not be the earliest which would mean this is not the earliest date of settlement.