No abstract available

[en] The terminology presently used for the prehistoric ceramic chronology in the archipelago of New Caledonia in southern Melanesia was defined by J.C. Galipaud in the late 1980s. Divided into two periods named Kone and Naia-Oundjo, each characterised by different pottery traditions, the terminology of this chronology has been a useful research tool for the last two decades. But renewed excavations at numerous sites, as well as a wide program of dating conducted since the early 1990s by the local Department of Archaeology, show that a number of changes to the characteristics and chronological boundaries of the archipelago's varied ceramic traditions are now required. This paper proposes a synthesis of these recent studies, highlighting major typological and geographical shifts in the nearly 3000 years of ceramic history in southern Melanesia. Questions concerning the first appearance of ceramics, the persistence of the Lapita series, the transformations of post-Lapita traditions, the first clear definition of the 'Balabio tradition' and the diversification of late ceramic traditions will be raised as a revised chronology is detailed. This leads to a proposed new nomenclature, defining four different ceramic periods for New Caledonia. (author). 62 refs., 13 figs

[en] New Caledonia is an island and with dependencies totals just over 1900 square kilometers in area and contains an estimated 128,000 people. Its principal products are nickel and chrome, but agricultural products assume considerable importance in addition. Geologically New Caledonia is quite complex, and on the basis of the complexity of geology and the relative intensity of the mineralization of the island as well as apparent favourable host rocks a category 2 - 1,000 - 10,000 tonnes U - (nearer to 1,000 than 10,000) is assigned. (author)

[en] A relatively complete and reasonably well preserved skeleton, including a partially reconstructed cranium and mandible, of an approximately 35-45 year old female, found at the Lapita site, WKO-013B, near Kone, Foue Peninsula, New Caledonia, is described. Although not without problems, radioacarbon dating of the skeleton and other archaeological considerations place the burial around the middle of the first millenium BC (c.500 BC). Chemical analysis of the bone gives no clear picture about diet, although direct or indirect consumption of C4 plants is hypothesised. Nitrogen isotope values imply average contribution from both land and marine environments. The reconstructed skull is long and resembles crania from eastern island Melanesia. The teeth are small and the incisors exhibit moderate shovelling. A single dental caries, an apical abscess, moderate dental attrition, enamel hypoplasias, and evidence of periodontal disease were observed in the teeth. The stature is estimated to be 161.4 cm, or 5 feet 3.5 inches. There is osteological evidence that this individual experienced childbirth. The cranial vault bones are thickened. There is little or no osteoarthritis in these remains. Limited comparisons of certain crania, dental and skeletal morphological features of this new skeleton suggest affinities with other Lapita-associated skeletons and skeletal series from eastern island Melanesia. (author). 66 refs., 24 tabs., 11 figs

[en] A key, an annotated checklist with detailed distribution, biological and host information, and color photographic plates are provided for the 91 species of dacine fruit flies (Diptera: Tephritidae: Dacini) known to occur in Oceania. Dacus virgatus Coquillett, previously a synonym of Bactrocera psidii (Froggatt), is instead considered a junior synonym of B. facialis (Coquillett). The species originally described in 1971 as Dacus (Asiadacus) perpusillus Drew, later reassigned as Bactrocera (Sinodacus) perpusilla (Drew) and in recent years as Zeugodacus (Sinodacus) perpusillus (Drew) actually belongs to genus Dacus, and is transferred back to Dacus, but to the subgenus Neodacus, restored combination. The presence of B. redunca (Drew) is recorded for the first time in New Caledonia. New male lure records include isoeugenol and dihydroeugenol for both B. neoxanthodes Drew and Romig and B. quadrisetosa (Bezzi) and zingerone for Dacus taui (Drew and Romig), all in Vanuatu. (author)

[en] Archaeological and palaeontological investigations occurred in 2003 at the Pindai Caves in New Caledonia, where remains of prehistoric settlement exist in conjunction with the richest fossil deposits found to date on Grand Terre. Among more than 45 bird taxa in our excavations at least 20 that are locally or globally extinct are represented at levels immediately below or within the era of human occupation. These include the giant megapode, Sylviornis sp., the flightless swamphen, Porphyrio kukuwiedei, and other rails, a kagu, pigeons, a large snipe, Coenocorypha sp., several taxa of owls, a nightjar, and an owlet-nightjar. Unresolved problems in dating and taphonomy, however, make it difficult to specify the strength of cultural associations and thus the extent to which human activities were responsible for extinctions or extirpations. We present the first radiocarbon dates upon Sylviornis bone, showing that, at least, the species survived into the late Holocene. Relatively frequent occurrence of Sylviornis bone in the cultural levels, coupled with a radiocarbon date on a bone sample of about 3000 calBP make a case for human contact. (author). Refs., 8 figs., 6 tabs.

[en] Preliminary archaeological data from the east coast of the Grande Terrre of New Caledonia have been interpreted for some time as indicating an early prehistoric settlement of the southernmost Melanesian Archipelago by two cultural groups. Absence of Lapita sites on this coast, as well as very early dates published for the appearance of paddle-impressed pottery of the Podtanean tradition, led to the proposal of a pre-Lapita, non-Austronesian, 'Melanesian' settlement of southern Melanesia. This paper presents data on the first early Lapita site from Grande Terre's east coast, and discusses the implications of these new archaeological data for the definition of the characteristics of first human settlement in this region of Remote Oceania. (author). 59 refs., 6 figs

[en] Seawater samples were collected in the lagoon of Noumea (New Caledonia) along two transects from coastal bays to the oligotrophic barrier reef. Dissolved (<0.2 μm) and sub-micrometer (0.2-0.8 μm) concentrations of chromium, nickel and zinc were measured. Concentrations in the 0.2-0.8 μm size range were correlated with transparent exopolymeric particles (TEP) turnover rates, suggesting that a TEP pool rapidly cycling in the system is more reactive toward metals. The role of TEP reactivity in the transfer efficiency of metals from dissolved to particulate phases was estimated through variations of the metal partitioning coefficient K between sub-micrometer TEP and solution, as a function of the water mass residence time. The log K (6.0-8.0) increased from high to low residence time, suggesting that TEP reactivity increases when water masses renew rapidly. This suggests that hydrodynamics control TEP reactivity toward metals. The characteristics (adsorption vs. complexation) of TEP-metal association are discussed.

[en] In 1995 a small cave near Me Aure (site WMD007) on the west coast of New Caledonia, about 120 km northwest of Noumea, was excavated and found to contain mainly owl and human midden deposits. Some of the contents have already been documented and the present paper completes the study by reporting the human-related materials, including human bone fragments, pottery sherds, bones of four rodent species, and marine mollusc and crab remains. Each of these material classes are reported separately by the authors responsible for their analysis, and the results and interpretations based on each line of evidence are compared and contrasted. The human bone and pottery data suggest a temporally constrained deposit (2750-2350 BP) that has experienced stratigraphic disturbance. This result raises doubt about the un-mixed nature of the deposit emphasized in earlier publications and it urges instead the conclusion that the Me Aure stratigraphy consists mostly of a redeposited set of horizons. If this conclusion is correct, interpretations already published relying on a fixed chronology, especially about vegetation change and avifauna depletion or early aroid introduction will need to be reconsidered. The site constitutes the first in New Caledonia for which a cave deposit has now been fully analysed. (author). 36 refs., 11 figs., 9 tabs.

[en] Sedimentological and stratigraphic analysis of about 40 sub-surface cores drilled through the reefs of New Caledonia provides valuable data on the processes of reef recolonization following the past post glacial sea-level rise, and on the vertical tectonic behaviour of the island over the past 125,000 years. Holocene reefs in New Caledonia are not older than 8.5 ky. The fringing reef which developed during the last interglacial high sea-level 125 ky ago, is today uplifted and lies along some 30 km of coast in the area of 10 m, while the present-day barrier reef is deeply submerged (around - 15 to - 20 m). Near Hienghene (east coast), a double system of two notches is markedly deformed by a bulge, but is much more localized (3 km long) than in the Yate area, with a maximum uplift of 13 m of the upper double notch system (interpreted as having formed during the last interglacial event). Relics of the 125 ky fringing reef are emergent at various locations in the Bourail region (west coast). However, their altitudes are lower than that generally admitted (+ 6 m) for their construction at 125 ky, thus most probably reflecting a slight subsidence of the area. Elsewhere, the 125 ky fringing reef underlies the Holocene reef: in the SW of the island, in particular, the Holocene - Pleistocene unconformity is observed at - 6 m. In areas of higher subsidence rates, such as the NW or NE of the island, the 125 ky fringing reef may be more deeply buried. In that case, the Holocene reef rests directly on a metamorphic or sedimentary substratum. Within the barrier reef build-up itself, the 125 ky reef flat is overlain by a Holocene sequence, whose thickness depends on local subsidence rates. The observation of notches, raised becah-rocks or coral reefs (dated ar around 5,500 yr) uplifted up to 1 to 1,5 m above MLWS reflects the existence of a hydro-isostatic rebound. Traces of this rebound disappear in areas of high subsidence rate, illustrating the action of local tectonics. (authors)