Ceramic sago ovens and the history of regional trading patterns in eastern Indonesia and the Papuan coast

The extraction and processing of palm starch is an ancient technology in island Southeast Asia and New Guinea, but its archaeological signature is weak. This article outlines the evidence for the distribution of ceramic ovens used for cooking sago flour, a possible diagnostic marker in archaeological deposits. In relation to available archaeological evidence (including new radiocarbon dates), we examine the hypothesis that the origin of this distinctive equipment predated the European period. We confirm the existence of sago ovens from pre-European contexts, and suggest an endogenous protohistoric origin rather than an exogenous historic origin. We conclude that the growth and dispersal of ceramic ovens were linked to changes in local trading patterns associated with the increase in the production of cloves, nutmeg and other commodities for European and Asian markets, and expansion along the Papuan coasts by Moluccan traders.