Page 72 - THE MELANESIA DIASPORA FILE CETAK ISI 10022017

Above: Lapita eathenware decorated with what appears to be a human face which was found in the Pain Haka
site, East Flores.
If the direct migration to east Indonesia had reached only the coast of Papua, then
it would have been similar to the migration of Bismarck Islands. There is evidence that
the migration reached the eastern border of Jayapura, the Aitape Site on the northern
coast of Papua New Guinea and the Manus Islands. The eastward migration went as far
as Samoa (Kirch, 1996). Besides earthen ceramics, other evidence of the Austronesian’s
existence or migration included unique habitation patterns, economic strategies, tool
making using other than earthen ceramics (scrapers, axes made of clamshells and stones,
fishing equipment, and the use of shells as money). Shells became the currency used in
trading with the coastal dwellers. The Mee tribe in remote Paniai used the word mege for
the currency, while the Muyu Tribe in Mapi named it ot or kauri (Kirch, 1996, Tanudirjo,
2011). The western border of Austronesian migration was supported by the data of oceanic
language spread; Austronesian language which was spoken in Pacific was also the evidence
of the Austronesian spread at the most western tip reaching the eastern part of Jayapura
(Mahmud, 2011). These findings were also supported by the genetic data. This showed
that the indigenous people in the remote area of the high-peaks had difference genetics

72 Chapter 1

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