A Study of Polished Stone Tools From New Guinea.

Abstract This article outlines a proposed new project relating to the study of the polished stone tools collected in northeast New Guinea between 1891 and 1901 by Sámuel Fenichel and Lajos Bíró, which are now housed in the Museum of Ethnography, Budapest. The collection originates from three regions (Berlinhafen, Huon Gulf, and Astrolabe Bay), the last being the most important as the source of more than 300 stone axes (with or without handles) held in the museum. The investigation of this material using archaeological and/or archaeometric methods aims to shed light on its origins, production, and use, complemented with ethnographical data. The survey and publication of this material is extremely important and fills a longstanding gap.