OPTIONS FOR JOINT ARCHAEOLOGICAL, ETHNO-ARCHAEOLOGICAL, AND ANTHROPOLOGICAL RESEARCH IN PAPUA

Abstract

Abstrak. Opsi untuk Penelitian Arkeologi Bersama, Ethno-Arkeologi dan Antropologi di Papua. Papua memiliki potensi arkeologi yang besar, serta masih dijumpai tradisi prasejarah yang masih berlangsung hingga saat ini. Provinsi Papua dan Papua Barat menawarkan kesempatan yang sangat menarik untuk penelitian interdisipliner di bidang prasejarah dan keragaman budaya. Temuan arkeologis menunjukkan bahwa manusia mendiami bagian timur New Guinea sekitar 40.000-50.000 tahun yang lalu. Karena imigrasi utama kemungkinan besar terjadi dari barat Pulau New Guinea dihuni lebih awal. Penelitian arkeologi dan terkait sejauh ini hanya menetapkan beberapa situs dan bukti-bukti lain dari hunian awal manusia prasejarah di Papua Nugini. Tulisan ini bertujuan menggambarkan potensi penelitian arkeologi, antropologi, etnografi di Papua dan menyebutkan secara khusus penelitian arkeologi dan etnoarkeologi di Kabupaten Pegunungan Bintang, di wilayah suku Mek dan Ok. Metode penelitian dalam tulisan ini yaitu studi pustaka, survei, ekskavasi dan pendekatan etnoarkeologi. Hasil penelitian menunjukan bahwa pegunungan Papua menjadi pusat pertanian awal di dunia. Hingga saat ini masih dijumpai tradisi prasejarah di Papua yaitu pembuatan kapak batu, alat tulang dan tradisi megalitik. Tradisi prasejarah ini dijumpai di wilayah pegunungan dan pesisir. Penelitian, pertanggalan absolut situs dan publikasi arkeologi Papua masih sedikit jika dibandingkan dengan Papua Nugini. Hal ini menjadi potensi ke depan untuk melakukan penelitian dan publikasi bersama.

Kata kunci: Etnografi, prasejarah, warisan budaya, rumah peradaban

Abstract. With its prehistoric tradition still found to this present day, Papua is considered to have high archaeological potential. Papua and West Papua Provinces offer particularly interesting opportunities for interdisciplinary research in prehistory and cultural diversity. Archaeological findings show that humans inhabited the eastern half of New Guinea (NG) at least 40,000–50,000 years ago. As primary immigration most likely happened from west to east, the western half of the island of NG must have been inhabited even earlier. Archaeological and related research has established only a few sites and other signs of early human occupancy in the Indonesian part of NG. This review describes the potential of archaeological, anthropological, and ethnographic research in the Indonesian Papuan Provinces and specifically discusses recent ethnographic, archaeological, and ethno-archaeological work carried out in the Star Mountain Regency among the Mek and the Ok. The research methods employed in this research were literature review, survey, excavation, and ethnoarchaeological approaches. The findings show that Papuan highlands became one of the earliest centres of horticulture. Until now, there are still prehistoric traditions found in Papua, such as stone adzes, bone tools, and megalithic traditions. These prehistoric traditions are easily found in the highlands and coastal areas. Research sites absolute dating, and archaeological publication related to Papua is still considered low compared to PNG. Many facets of Papuan cultural diversity are still to be discovered for future research and collaborative publication.

Keywords: Ethnography, prehistory, cultural heritage, rumah peradaban