EARLY METAL AGE POTTERY FROM FATU AKI ANIK KNUA, TIMOR-LESTE AND THE APPEARANCE OF CERAMICS IN THE WALLACEAN ISLANDS SUPPLEMENTARY FILE 1: FAAK CAVE CATALOGUE

This catalogue presents descriptions on 16 diagnostic shards: rims (11), decorated rims (3), and decorated body shards (2) from the Faak Cave

EARLY METAL AGE POTTERY FROM FATU AKI ANIK KNUA, TIMOR-LESTE AND THE APPEARANCE OF CERAMICS IN THE WALLACEAN ISLANDS SUPPLEMENTARY FILE 2: FAAK OPEN SITE CATALOGUE—RIMS

This catalogue presents descriptions and observations on 172 diagnostic rim shards from the Faak Open site

EARLY METAL AGE POTTERY FROM FATU AKI ANIK KNUA, TIMOR-LESTE AND THE APPEARANCE OF CERAMICS IN THE WALLACEAN ISLANDS SUPPLEMENTARY FILE 5: FAAK THIN SECTIONS CATALOGUE

This catalogue presents a record of the preliminary petrographic analysis of 21 thin section samples from the Faak Cave and Faak Open Site. It also includes an unpublished report by Dickinson (2011) that has been referred to in the main text: Summary Petrographic Evaluation of Temper Sands in Protohistoric Sherds from East Timor

Micro-anatomical record of cortical bone remodeling and high vascularity in a fossil giant rat midshaft femur

Rat cortical bone does not typically undergo secondary (Haversian) remodeling. Haversian organization of rat bone has been mainly observed in experimental settings following biomechanical or dietary manipulation. Here, we report an observation of cortical secondary osteons within a histological femur cross-section from an extinct (late Quaternary) form of Timorese giant rat (Murinae gen. et sp. indet). The medio-lateral midshaft diameter of its femur, used as a measure of bone size, is 6.15 mm and indicates a heavier than normal skeletal frame. We compare this sample to bone histology in a small rat's midshaft femur of 2.33 mm diameter. A complete lack of Haversian bone remodeling characteristics is noted for the smaller sample, which is dominated by radial vascular canals. The giant rat shows clear secondary osteons and diffuse vascularity mainly composed of tightly packed longitudinal canals across its cortex. It appears that rat cortical bone can undergo bone remodeling, and is organized in a highly vascularized manner, in insular giant cases. Our findings from Timor align with results reported in experimental rat model skeletal biology literature and other insular fossil rat material. Where macroanatomical examination is limited, histological observations on fossil rat limb bones have the potential to aid reconstructions of life history and skeletal growth aspects in these rodents. Anat Rec, 302:1934-1940, 2019.y. This research was possible thanks to OSP funds from the School of Archeology and Anthropology at the Australian National University (to Miszkiewicz), and the Australian Research Council (Future Fellowship Award FT160100450 to Louys; Laureate FL120100156 to O’Connor)

First record of avian extinctions from the Late Pleistocene and Holocene of Timor Leste

Under embargo until: 2020-11-23Timor has yielded the earliest evidence for modern humans in Wallacea, but despite its long history of modern human occupation, there is little evidence for human-induced Late Pleistocene extinctions. Here, we report on Late Pleistocene and Holocene bird remains from Jerimalai and Matja Kuru 1, sites that have yielded extensive archaeological sequences dating back to >40 ka. Avian remains are present throughout the sequence, and quails (Phasianidae), buttonquails (Turnicidae) and pigeons (Columbidae) are the most abundant groups. Taphonomic analyses suggest that the majority of bird remains, with the exception of large-bodied pigeons, were accumulated by avian predators, likely the Barn owl Tyto sp. All species represent extant taxa that are still present on Timor today, with the exception of a crane, Grus sp., from the Late Pleistocene of Jerimalai, and a large buttonquail, Turnix sp., from Matja Kuru 1. The crane likely represents an extirpated population of cranes, which were much more widespread throughout the Indonesian archipelago during the Quaternary. The large buttonquail is present at Matja Kuru 1 alongside the extant T. maculosus until at least 1372–1300 cal BP. These two species represent the first records of avian extinctions on Timor. However, a causal relationship between the extinction of these two taxa and human impact cannot be demonstrated at this point.acceptedVersio

EARLY METAL AGE POTTERY FROM FATU AKI ANIK KNUA, TIMOR-LESTE AND THE APPEARANCE OF CERAMICS IN THE WALLACEAN ISLANDS SUPPLEMENTARY FILE 4: FAAK OPEN SITE CATALOGUE—DECORATED BODY SHARDS

This catalogue presents descriptions and observations on 128 diagnostic decorated body shards from the Faak Open site

Early Metal Age Pottery from Fatu Aki Anik Knua, Timor-Leste and the Appearance of Ceramics in the Wallacean Islands.

Fatu Aki Anik Knua is an archaeological site in the mountainous interior of Timor-Leste comprising of a limestone cave and open site locale. Excavations in 2015 yielded an extraordinary quantity of earthenware pottery with over 13,000 potsherds recovered, all dating within the last 1800 years. The Faak pottery is described and examined in the context of Timor-Leste and eastern Indonesian assemblages more widely. The intensification of ceramic technology transfers and initial pottery use, which occurred at many sites in the region during the Paleometallic era, is highlighted. The essential features of this hinterland site assemblage show affinities with Early Metal Age pottery occurring extensively throughout eastern Indonesia after 2500 BP

A Geological and Spatial Approach to Prehistoric Archaeological Surveys on Small Islands: Case Studies from Maluku Barat Daya, Indonesia

Survei arkeologi sangat penting untuk penemuan dan interpretasi sisa-sisa yang ditinggalkan oleh aktivitas manusia prasejarah. Saat ini penginderaan jarak jauh dan model prediktif telah meningkatkan jangkauan dan keberhasilan survei arkeologi, namun survei pejalan kaki untuk mengembangkan parameter model dan prediksi kebenaran dasar masih penting untuk keberhasilan suatu penemuan. Penelitian ini merupakan hasil survei arkeologi tahun 2017 di Pulau Babar Besar dan Pulau Wetang yang termasuk dalam bagian dari kelompok Kepulauan Babar, Maluku Barat Daya, Indonesia. Tercatat sebanyak 62 situs arkeologi ditemukan di kedua pulau tersebut, tujuh diantaranya merupakan situs lukisan cadas baru yang ditemukan di Pulau Wetang. Hasil survei ini menunjukkan keberhasilan penggunaan peta geologi dan topografi di samping citra satelit dalam mendeteksi daerah prospektif untuk survei. Hasil penelitian ini juga menunjukkan bahwa pemahaman karakteristik geologi daerah yang lebih rinci dan komparatif diperlukan sebelum dilakukan survei jarak jauh yang lebih lanjut di wilayah Maluku Barat Daya, Indonesia.Archaeological surveys are essential to the discovery and interpretation of remains left by past human activities. While remote sensing and predictive models have greatly improved the reach and success of archaeological survey, pedestrian surveys to develop model parameters and ground-truth predictions is still imperative for successful discoveries. Here we present the results of the 2017 archaeological survey of islands Babar Besar and Wetang in the Babar Island Group, Maluku Barat Daya, Indonesia. A total of 62 archaeological sites were recorded between the two islands; seven of which represent new rock art sites on Wetang island. Our survey results indicate the successful use of geological and topographic maps alongside satellite images in detecting prospective regions for survey. Results also indicate however that a more detailed and comparative understanding of the regions geology is required before more advanced forms of remote survey are conducted in the Maluku Barat Daya region

New dates on dingo bones from Madura Cave provide oldest firm evidence for arrival of the species in Australia

The dingo is the only placental land mammal aside from murids and bats to have made the water crossings to reach Australia prior to European arrival. It is thought that they arrived as a commensal animal with people, some time in the mid Holocene. However, the timing of their arrival is still a subject of major debate with published age estimates varying widely. This is largely because the age estimates for dingo arrival are based on archaeological deposit dates and genetic divergence estimates, rather than on the dingo bones themselves. Currently, estimates vary from between 5000-4000 years ago, for finds from archaeological contexts, and as much as 18,000 based on DNA age estimates. The timing of dingo arrival is important as post arrival they transformed Indigenous societies across mainland Australia and have been implicated in the extinction of a number of animals including the Tasmanian tiger. Here we present the results of direct dating of dingo bones from their oldest known archaeological context, Madura Cave on the Nullarbor Plain. These dates demonstrate that dingoes were in southern Australia by between 3348 and 3081 years ago. We suggest that following their introduction the dingo may have spread extremely rapidly throughout mainland Australia.Some of this work was undertaken as part of Linkage Grant LP100200415 funded by the ARC with contributions from the Kimberley Foundation Australia and the Department of Sustainability, Water, Populations and Communities

EARLY METAL AGE POTTERY FROM FATU AKI ANIK KNUA, TIMOR-LESTE AND THE APPEARANCE OF CERAMICS IN THE WALLACEAN ISLANDS SUPPLEMENTARY FILE 4: FAAK OPEN SITE CATALOGUE—DECORATED BODY SHARDS

This catalogue presents descriptions and observations on 128 diagnostic decorated body shards from the Faak Open site