Ethno‑Archaeobotany of Sago Processing, Waigeo Island, Raja Ampat, Indonesian Papua

Anna Florin1*, Poppy Ondikeleuw2, Aksamina Dam3, Marina Amberbaken3, Dylan Gaffney4, Sofwan Noerwidi2, Marlin Tolla2, Daud Tanudirjo5, Abdul Razak Macap6, Agustin Capriati7, and Ben Utting8

¹Australian National University, Australia; 2National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN), Indonesia; 3Independent Researcher; 4University of Oxford, United Kingdom; 5Universitas Gadjah Mada, Indonesia; 6Balai Pelestarian Nilai Budaya, Indonesia; 7Wageningen University, the Netherlands; 8University of Connecticut, USA; *anna.florin@anu.edu.au

Swamp sago palms (Metroxylon sagu) are widespread in the tropical lowland forests and freshwater swamps of Mainland and Island Southeast Asia, and Melanesia; their crushed pith is an important starchy resource across the region, and their bark, leaves, and roots are used in construction, technologies, and medicines. In New Guinea and the Maluku Islands, the primary centre of genetic diversity, sago is a major staple food in lowland communities, harvested year‑round from both “wild” stands and cultivated gardens. Whilst the processing of sago has been hypothesised to have a great antiquity in this region, archaeological evidence for its use only dates to 1,450 cal BP and relies on related material culture (e.g., sago ovens, pottery), and patterns of land use (David 2008; Rhoads 1980; Ellen and Latinis 2012), with purported M. sagu starch recovered from archaeological horizons dating to 3,350–2,470 BC on the southern coast of China (Yang et al. 2013). This paper presents an ethno‑archaeobotanical study of sago processing carried out by Ambel‑ and Biak‑speakers in Warsambin Village, Waigeo Island, Raja Ampat. Through participant observation, the sago processing sequence, including the related material culture and language, was recorded, with the products and by‑products of the sequence collected for archaeobotanical analysis. The morphological and anatomical characteristics of these plant parts provide key indicators for the identification of swamp sago palms at archaeological sites, as well as for the sago production process. As such, the results provide a methodology for direct archaeobotanical investigation of the nature and antiquity of sago processing.