Composite hunting technologies from the Terminal Pleistocene and Early Holocene,Niah Cave,Borneo

Renewed archaeological investigation of the West Mouth of Niah Cave, Borneo has demonstrated that even within lowland equatorial environments depositional conditions do exist where organic remains of late glacial and early post-glacial age can be preserved. Excavations by the Niah Cave Research Project (NCP) (2000–2003) towards the rear of the archaeological reserve produced several bone points and worked stingray spines, which exhibit evidence of hafting mastic and fibrous binding still adhering to their shafts. The position of both gives strong indication of how these cartilaginous points were hafted and gives insight into their potential function. These artefacts were recovered from secure and ¹⁴C dated stratigraphic horizons. The results of this study have implications for our understanding the function of the Terminal Pleistocene and Early Holocene bone tools recovered from other regions of Island Southeast Asia. They demonstrate that by the end the Pleistocene rainforest foragers in Borneo were producing composite technologies that probably included fishing leisters and potentially the bow and arrow.     

LOSS OF FARMLAND IN SOUTH-CENTRAL ONTARIO FROM 1951 to 1971

The loss of farmland in four counties of south-central Ontario was examined for the 1951–71 period, with the use of township census data. The study has indicated the need to be cautious regarding the accuracy of official statistics. Regression analysis of the census data revealed that the best predictor of farmland loss was the extent of part-time farming. Since 1971, the role of part-time farming has changed greatly. The percentage of part-time farmers is increasing steadily because off-farm income is vital to the maintenance of the economic viability of farming today. In contrast to the 1950s and 1960s, the part-time farmer now is often coming into full-time farming rather than phasing out. The results of this analysis present further evidence of the complexity of the loss-of-farmland problem and the variability of the findings that emerge from studies conducted for different periods