The value of an anthropological approach to archaeology is becoming increasingly appreciated. This thesis uses an ethno-archaeological focus to investigate the spatial and temporal variations which appear in the Pandanus nut assemblages from four rockshelter sites in Manim Valley, Papua New Guinea. I develop a "Site Use Model" which predicts the nature of the Pandanus assemblages based on hunter-gatherer subsistence and settlement strategies and previous interpretations of the sites’ functions and field observations of Pandanus use. The Model is tested against the Pandanus nut remains from the sites. The test concludes that the morphologicaldifferences between the Pandanus nuts are not a result of the domestication process but probably represent the habitat preference of the Pandanus species. The functions occurring at the sites do change over time, but cannot be explained alone by the spread of agriculture. It is suggested that the composition of groups using the sites adds to the complexity of the issue.

Thesis submitted to the Department of Anthropology and Sociology, University of Queensland for a Master of Arts Degree (122 p)