The Murray Islands Archaeological Project: Excavations on Mer and Dauar, Eastern Torres Strait

Abstract

This paper reports results of excavations undertaken on the islands of Mer and Dauar, eastern Torres Strait. These investigations were conducted as the first phase of the Murray Islands Archaeological Project, coordinated as an interdisciplinary and collaborative investigation into the cultural and natural prehistory of the Murray Islands. The excavations at Kurkur Weid and Pitkik on Mer produced dense shell deposits and a radiocarbon chronology that suggests initial use of marine resources at these sites around 1200 BP. The excavation of a shell midden deposit at Sokoli on Dauar recovered over 2m of marine faunal remains, and at that time produced the earliest radiocarbon dates for occupation in the Torres Strait at around 2500 to 3000 year BP. The recovery of a ceramic shard from the excavation at Sokoli dated to around 1200 years BP also attests to an established prehistoric trade network with Papua New Guinea. These results have established the significant archaeological potential of the Meriam Islands and will continue to further our understanding of occupation and subsistence in the Torres Strait and its Papua New Guinea connections.

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