Papua New Guinea Resources
Compiled by Roxanne Tsang and Jason Kariwiga
Legislation
There are several pieces of legislation that relate to the heritage of Papua New Guinea. These are described in detail below.
National Cultural Property (Preservation) Act 1965
This is the primary legislation which governs archaeological and cultural sites in Papua New Guinea. The Act defines ‘national cultural property’, outlines restrictions around their export, and designates proper reporting to the concerned state regulatory body (i.e. National Museum and Art Gallery). Read more here.
National Cultural Property (Preservation) (Amendment) Act 2015.
Parts of this Act were amended in 2015 to include national cultural property found “on or under the seabed, to the outer limit of the exclusive economic zone”. Read more here.
War Surplus Material Act 1952
This Act outlines ownership, any potential sale, and penalties associated with the finding and removal of materials and remains from all wars fought within Papua New Guinea’s international boundaries. Read more here.
War Surplus Material (Amendment) Act 2015
Parts of this Act were amended in 2015 that redefine “war surplus material” as “located in the country including its internal waters and its territorial sea and the underlying lands”, to be replaced with “located in Papua New Guinea, including the waters of Papua New Guinea and the seabed and subsoil of those waters”. Amendments can be viewed here.
Conservation Areas Act 1978
The Conservation Areas Act 1978 provides protections to both the environment and the “national cultural inheritance” by outlining protections and management of sites/areas of topographical, geological, historic, scientific or social importance.
National Museum and Art Gallery Act 1992
The National Museum and Art Gallery Act 1992 provides for the inception and outlines the powers / authority of the National Museum and Art Gallery in its role as the caretaker of the country’s cultural heritage. The National Museum and Art Gallery houses cultural treasures and regulates, maintains and preserves information, sites and artefacts.
Oil and Gas Act 1998
The Oil and Gas Act 1998 outlines governance for the exploration and production of petroleum and outlines benefits-sharing between the different stakeholders in the sector. This Act is pertinent to cultural heritage management and preservation as all small to large-scale developers are required to follow the relevant cultural heritage protection legislation in the areas they work.
Environment Act 2000
The Environment Act 2000 provides protections for the environment and regulating the impacts of development activities through sustainable practices and safeguards. It also outlines management for social and physical well-being of these areas and the people, which includes cultural heritage.
Publications of interest
While there is a considerable body of archaeology literature on Papua New Guinea’s prehistory, published studies in historical archaeology are considerably less in number. Here is a list of publications that may be of interest.
Barton, F. R. (1910). Annual trading voyages to the Papuan Gulf. Chapter in C. G. Seligman, The Melanesians of British New Guinea (pp. 96-120). Cambridge University Press. [While not written by an archaeologist – Barton was a colonial administrator – his firsthand account of the Hiri voyages undertaken by the Motu of today’s Port Moresby has often been referenced by archaeologists studying the widespread trade and exchanges systems of the Papuan Coast].
Bourke, R. M. (2009). History of agriculture in Papua New Guinea. In R.M. Bourke & T. Harwood (Eds.), Food and Agriculture in Papua New Guinea (pp. 10-26). ANU E Press. doi.org/10.22459/FAPNG.08.2009
Clay, B.J. (2005). Unstable Images: Colonial Discourse on New Ireland, Papua New Guinea, 1875-1935. University of Hawaii Press. https://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctvvn7s8
Denham, T. (2013). Traim tasol … Cultural heritage management in Papua New Guinea. In S. Brockwell, S. O’Connor & D. Byrne (Eds.), Transcending the Culture-Nature Divide in Cultural Heritage: Views from the Asia-Pacific Region (Terra Australis 36) (pp. 117-128). ANU E Press. https://press-files.anu.edu.au/downloads/press/p223681/pdf/ch081.pdf
Gabriel, J. & Gorecki, P. (2014). The ‘Karawari Caves Precinct’ of the Sepik River Basin, Papua New Guinea. Cairns: James Cook University. https://researchonline.jcu.edu.au/37196/6/Gabriel%20et%20al%202014.pdf
Gorecki, P. (2017). Kuk Phase 7, 1969–1990, the Kuk Research Station: A Colonial Interlude. In J. Golson, T. Denham, P. Hughes, P. Swadling & J. Muke (Eds.), Ten Thousand Years of Cultivation at Kuk Swamp in the Highlands of Papua New Guinea (Terra Australis 46) (pp. 437-447). ANU Press. doi.org/10.22459/TA46.07.2017
Golson, J., & Muke, J. (2017). Kuk 1991 to 1998, the Station Abandoned and the Land Resumed: Archaeological Implications. In J. Golson, T. Denham, P. Hughes, P. Swadling & J. Muke (Eds.), Ten Thousand Years of Cultivation at Kuk Swamp in the Highlands of Papua New Guinea (Terra Australis 46) (pp. 449-455). ANU Press. doi.org/10.22459/TA46.07.2017
Matic, A. (2020). Identifying the Tadji Beauforts: utilising non-invasive investigation techniques to determine identities for a group of World War II aircraft wrecks near Aitape, Papua New Guinea. Australasian Historical Archaeology 38, 72-78. https://www.jstor.org/stable/10.2307/27013963
Muke, J., & Denham, T. (2017). Kuk Phase 8: Heritage Issues to 2008. In J. Golson, T. Denham, P. Hughes, P. Swadling & J. Muke (Eds.), Ten Thousand Years of Cultivation at Kuk Swamp in the Highlands of Papua New Guinea (Terra Australis 46) (pp. 457-467). ANU Press. doi.org/10.22459/TA46.07.2017
Petchey, P. (2015). Second World War Japanese Defences on Watom Island, Papua New Guinea. Journal of Conflict Archaeology, 10(1), 29–51. doi.org/10.1179/1574077315Z.00000000042
Websites & Social Media
National Museum and Art Gallery
The Museum’s Facebook page regularly updates on opening day/times for any visitors.
National Cultural Commission
The National Cultural Commission is the state body responsible for the documentation, promotion, and preservation of the country’s intangible cultural heritage.
Visit their website or Facebook page for more information.
University of Papua New Guinea Archaeology (UPNG Archaeology Lab Group)
The University of Papua New Guinea offers the country’s only archaeology degree program, and regular news and updates can be found on the Archaeology department’s Facebook page.
PNG Rock Art
Archaeologist Roxanne Tsang, under the mentorship of UPNG lecturer Matthew Leavesley, has created an Instagram account (username: png_rockart) to share rock art news and images from Papua New Guinea and globally to highlight the importance of this non-renewable resource and its cultural significance. This is with the aim of documenting, learning and promoting further research into rock art and by extension, the human past through such avenues as education and outreach, and protection and preservation. A shared profile with Facebook is currently being created.
Visit
The National Museum and Art Gallery, Port Moresby, National Capital District
Independence Hill, Waigani – adjacent to Parliament House
J.K. McCarthy Museum, Goroka, Eastern Highlands Province
There are numerous local museums in and around the smaller towns and villages throughout the country. It is best to enquire before heading to PNG or while in the larger towns and cities where telecommunication networks are more readily available.
Conducting archaeology in Papua New Guinea
Before any archaeological work can take place, permission must first be sought and granted by the Papua New Guinea National Museum and Art Gallery (NMAG). The NMAG is the state body responsible for all archaeological research undertaken in the country and is tasked with implementing those provisions set out by theNational Cultural Property (Preservation) Act 1965. The NMAG is responsible for maintaining national sites register, and the curation of all archaeological material. In addition, all archaeological survey and excavation permits – both of these separate documents – and export permits, are to be obtained through the NMAG’s Prehistory section. These individual permits have stipulated conditions, including on reporting back, and must be strictly adhered to.
For researchers from overseas, separate research visas must first be granted; these are granted by the National Research Institute. All provinces have cultural officers who act as liaisons between the provincial governments and local communities. These cultural officers are usually based in the respective main provincial towns.
The overwhelming majority of land in PNG is traditionally owned by the local tribes and clans (as opposed to state land). Hence, prior engagement and appropriate permissions must first be obtained from these landowners before the start of any fieldwork.