Prestige Stone Items in Island Melanesia: assessment of the enigmatic biconical picks, drilled plaques and stone clubs from New Caledonia

Abstract

Museum collections from Melanesia preserve a number of enigmatic stone objects whose antiquity and use have been debated by ethnographers for a long time. Rarely have these items been studied from an archaeological perspective, although comparisons with other remains and geological provenance studies can help disentangle questions about these objects. This paper presents the case of finely polished biconical picks and associated drilled stone plaques and clubs from New Caledonia. The study of their production technique and the identification of the use of greywacke as source material allow for a hypothesis as to the chronological period of production of these unique items of the Melanesian prestige goods repertoire.