Karawari airfield (East Sepik): local people looking at C. Joly while he was shooting the aircraft arrival from the drone. (Photo F.-X. R./Post-processing S. P.) Awim village: the TV crew is filming the “singsing” dancers. (Photo F.-X. R./Post-processing S. P.) C. Joly controlling the drone along the Arafundi river, near Imboin village. (Photo F.-X. R./Post-processing S. P.) The flight of the drone arising enthusiasm and fascination at Awim village. (Photo H. F./Post-processing S. P.) M. Leavesley and the TV crew in action at Awim village. (Photo F.-X. R./Post-processing S. P.) Film director Guy Beauché in front of hand-stencils in Kundumbu rockshelter. (Photo F.-X. R./Post-processing S. P.) The drone flying in Awim's sky. (Photo H. F./Post-processing S. P.)
Papuan Past Project 2019 – Photos: excavation at Manim rock shelter, PNG Highlands.
Excavation at Manim
Arrival at the Manim rock shelter. Owner of the site talking about the rock shelter history. Cleaning Manim rock shelter. Planning the excavation at Manim rock shelter. Villagers observing work starting at Manim site under. Waterproof roof installed above the Manim rock shelter View on the sky from Manim test pit. Jeivin Andu during the excavation. One of the sieves used as a working desk. Jeivin and Chloe, University of PNG students, sieving at the Manim creek. Sieving at Manim creek 20 meters below Manim rock shelter. The Manim creek below the Manim rock shelter. Hubert and Chloe sieving at Manim creek. Sieving at the Manim creek, located bellow the Manim rock shelter. Lithic sorting after sieving at Manim creek, with the owner of the rock shelter back left. One of the excavated Manim test unit. Cleaned lithic artifacts. View of a Manim test unit. F.-X. and Matt looking at the new exposed stratigraphic units. Site closed after 2019 excavation of Manim rock shelter.
Daily life during the excavation
The surroundings of the site
View of the Wurup valley. Northern view from the Wurup valley towards the Wahgi valley. House of Manim rockshelter owner in right corner. Northern view from the Wurup valley towards the Wahgi valley. The Manim creek below the Manim rockshelter. View of the gardens surrounding the site, with the Wahgi valley in the background. Preparing gardens in Manim village to plant taro and sweet potatoes. Preparing garden in Manim village to plant taro and sweet potatoes. Gardens in the Wurup valley near Manim. Gardens in the Wurup valley near Manim. Gardens in the Wurup valley near Manim. View on the Wahgi valley and the Kuk site from the Wurup valley. Right corner is Manim site (under waterproof roof). On the way back from Manim rock shelter to Paul’s house. Walking in the Wurup valley in search of the Manim rock shelter. Back to Manim village after a day of archaeological excavation. On the way back from Manim rock shelter to Paul’s house. End of the day discussion with the Manim helpers.
Resting at the hamlet nearby
Living together during the fieldwork
Research team and helpers from Manim village in front of the project’s house in Manim. Research team and the helpers from Manim village in front of the project house in Manim. Matthew Leavesley presenting our research to the Manim community. Matthew Leavesley presenting our research to the Manim community.
Papuan Past Project 2019 – Photos: stay at Awim, East Sepik
View from the MAF plane leaving the highlands behind and flying over the Arafundi river (East Sepik). (Photo: F.-X. R./Post-processing: S. P.) Cloudy view of the highland foothills in Awim territory. (Photo: F.-X. R./Post-processing: S. P.) “Singsing” dancers in Awim village, with the Esamkanja cliff in the background. (Photo: F.-X. R./Post-processing: S. P.) View from the other side of Endum river: village under the forest cover. (Photo and post-processing: S. P.) View of Awim village with the Esamkanja cliff in background. (Photo: F.-X. R./Post-processing: S. P.) F.-X. Ricaut, Reubenson Gegeu and Awim people during a survey in the bush. (Photo: F.-X. R./Post-processing: S. P.) Part of the team during the surveys around Awim village, 2018. (Photo: F.-X. R./Post-processing: S. P.) View of Awim village from one of the hills on the other side of the Endum river. (Photo and post-processing: S. P.) Afternoon rain in Awim village. (Photo and post-processing: S. P.) Another day of rain in Awim village. (Photo and post-processing: S. P.) Domesticated pigs scavenging in Awim village. (Photo and post-processing: S. P.) The team’s bivouac in Awim guesthouse. (Photo and post-processing: S. P.) Some hand-stencils from Kundumbu rock shelter. (Photo: F.-X. R./Post-processing: S. P.) One of the many painted rock shelters in the Awim territory. Awim people making bark paintings on the front of the new guest house. (Photo and post-processing: S. P.) Bark painting in Awim village. Each panel includes motif specific to each family. (Photo: F.-X. R./Post-processing: S. P.) Village along the Arafundi river on the way to Imboin village. (Photo: F.-X. R./Post-processing: S. P.) Presentation of the project results to the Imboin village community. (Photo and post-processing: S. P.)
Environmental Knowledge and Social Relations: Forest Caves in a Rural Community in Northern Papua New Guinea (presentation at the “Frognet” conference)

Sébastien Plutniak participated in the Frognet conference on social networks in Toulouse, France (27-28th May 2019). He presented the preliminary results of his analysis on the social distribution of knowledge related to the caves in Awim village, East Sepik, Papua New Guinea. His study complements the archaeological study of rock art in this region undertaken in the framework of the Papuan Past Project. This post presents the abstract of the talk in English and in French.
