INTOH Michiko INTOH Michiko
Department of Modern Society and Civilization・Professor

Research Specialization

• Prehistory of Oceania; Oceania, Island Southeast Asia

Individual Research Projects

• Human Dispersals and Adaptation to Island Environments

Personal website

Academic Qualifications:

• B.A. Tokyo Woman's Christian Univ. 1976
• M.A. Univ. of Otago, Dunedin, N.Z. 1982
• Ph.D. Univ. of Otago, Dunedin, N.Z. 1989

Research Topics:

• Prehistory of Oceania, particularly, of Micronesia
• Strategies of the colonization and the adaptation to the island environment in Oceania

Recent Research Interests:

1. Human dispersals into Oceania
2. Traditional pottery makings in the Pacific
3. Characteristics of the external contacts of the coral islanders
4. Comprehensive study of Micronesia

Geographical areas of Interest:

Oceania, Micronesia, Polynesia, Melanesia

Ethnic groups:

Austronesian

Discipline:

Archaeology, ethno-archaelogy, ethnology

Publications (English publications only):

2017

Colonisation and/or cultural contacts: A discussion of the western Micronesian case. In J.P. Piper, H. Matsumura and D. Bulbeck (eds.) New Perspectives in Southeast Asian and Pacific Prehistory (terra australis 45), pp. 233-241. Canberra: ANU Press.

2013

(With T. Gakuhari, T. Nakano and M. Yoneda) Strontium isotope analysis of prehistoric faunal remains excavated from Fais Island in Micronesia. People and Culture in Oceania 29: 69-81.

2012

(With A.A. Storey et al.) Investigating the Global Dispersal of Chickens in Prehistory Using Ancient Mitochondrial DNA Signatures. PLoS ONE 7(7): e39171.

2011

(With R. Ono) Island of Pelagic Fishermen: Temporal Changes in Prehistoric Fishing on Fais, Micronesia. Journal of Island and Coastal Archaeology 6(2): 255–286.

2009

(With A. L. Lee, K. Katayama) Morphological Examination of The Human Skeletal Remains from Fais Island, Federated States of Micronesia. People and Culture in Oceania 25: 53–84.

2009

(With H. Kierdorf, et al.) Developmental Defects and Postmortem Changes in Archaeological Pig Teeth from Fais Island, Micronesia. Journal of Archaeological Science 36: 1637–1646.

2009

(With S. Fitzpatrick) Introduction: Archaeology and Historical Ecology in the Pacific Basin. In, S.M. Fitzpatrick and M. Intoh (eds.) Archaeology and Historical Ecology in the Pacific Basin (Pacific Science 63 (4)), pp.463–464. Honolulu: University of Hawaii Press.

2008

(With L. Katayama) Craniometric Comparisons of the Femails Crania from Fais Island with the Cranial Series from the Pacific-Asia Region. Anthropological Science 116: 256.

2008

(With M. Eda) A Zooarchaeological and Ethnographic Study of Frigatebird Remains from Tobi Island in Micronesia. People and Cutlrue in Oceania 24: 67-79

2008

Physical Characteristics of the Taumako Pottery. In F. Leach and J. Davidson (eds.) Archaeology on Taumako: A Polynesian Outlier in the Eastern Solomon Islands, (Special publication), pp.415–420. Dunedin: New Zealand Journal of Archaeology.

2008

Historical Significance of the Southwest Islands of Palau. In G. Clark, F. Leach and S. O'Connor (eds.) Islands of Inquiry: Colonisation, Seafaring and the Archaeology of Maritime Landscapes (Terra Australis 29), pp.325–338. Canberra: The Australian National University.

2008

The Great Navigators in the Pacific. MINPAKU Anthropology Newsletter 25: 31.

2008

Ongoing Archaeological Research on Fais Island, Micronesia. Asian Perspectives 47 (1): 121–138.

2007

(With G. Larson, et al.) Phylogeny and Ancient DNA of Sus Provides Insights into Neolithic Expansion in Island Southeast Asia and Oceania. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 104 (12): 4834–4839.

2007

Archaeological and Ethnographic Studies on Natural Resource Utilization. MINPAKU Anthropology Newsletter 24: 1–3.

2006

Living Strategy and Environmental Change on Fais Island, Micronesia. Anthropological Science 114 (3): 245.

2006

(With R. Ono) Reconnaissance Archaeological Research on Tobi Island, Palau. People and Culture in Oceania 22: 53–83.

2004

(With R. Ono) Reconnaissance Archaeological Survey on Tobi Island, Palau, Micronesia. Research report submitted to the State Government of Hatohobei, Palau.

2004

(With N. Shigehara) Prehistoric Pig and Dog Remains from Fais Island, Micronesia. Anthropological Science 112 (3): 257–267.

2004

(With C.H. Descantes, H. Neff and M.D. Glascock) Chemical Characterization of Yapese Clays and Ceramics by Instrumental Neutron Activation Analysis. Journal of Radioanalytical and Nuclear Chemistry 262 (1): 83–91.

2002

(With W.R. Dickinson) Prehistoric Pottery Movements in Western Micronesia: Technological and Petrological Studies of Potsherds from Fais Island. In S. Bedford, et al. (eds.) Fifty Years in the Field (New Zealand Arhcaeological Association Monograph 25), pp. 123–134.

2001

Review of Foregone Conclusions? In search of “Papuans” and “Austronesians”, by Terrell, et al. Current Anthropology 42 (1): 113–114.

2000

Frontiers of Human Settlement in the South Pacific. Editorial for the special section 1-39, People and Culture in Oceania 16: 1.

1999

(With J. R. Dodson) Prehistory and Palaeoecology of Yap, Federated States of Micronesia. Quaternary International 59: 17–26.

1999

Cultural Contacts between Micronesia and Melanesia. In J. C. Galipaud and I. Liley (eds.) Le Pacifique de 5000 a 2000 avant le Present: Supplements a l’histoire d’une Colonisation, pp. 407–422. Paris: Editions de IRD (Institut de Recherche pour le developpement).

1998

The Catalogue of Prehistoric Micronesian Artifacts Housed in Japan. Micronesian Archaeological Survey Report 34. Saipan.

1997

Human Dispersals into Micronesia. Anthropological Science 105 (1): 15–28.

1996

Multi-regional Contacts of Prehistoric Fais Islanders in Micronesia. Bulletin of Indo-Pacific Prehistory Association 15: 111–117.

1996

(With E. Z. Dizon) An Archaeological Reconnaissance on Eastern Samar, Philippines. Hokkaido Tokai University Bulletin: Humanities and Social Sciences 8: 165–181.

1995

(M. Intoh) (ed.) The Acceptance of the Outside World on Fais Island in Micronesia: 1994 Research. Preliminary report submitted to the Historic Preservation Office, Yap State, Federated States of Micronesia.

1994

(With D. W. Steadman) Biogeography and Prehistoric Exploitation of Birds from Fais Island, Yap State, Federated States of Micronesia. Pacific Science 48 (2): 116–135.

1993

Archaeological Research on Fais Island: Preliminary Report. In K. Komatsu (ed.) Cultural Anthropological Research on Historic Media in the Caroline Islands pp. 69–111. Committee for Micronesian Research 1991, Osaka University.

1992

Why Were Pots Imported to Ngulu Atoll?: A Consideration of Subsistence Strategy. The Journal of the Polynesian Society 101 (2): 159–168.

1992

Pottery Traditions in Micronesia. In J.C. Galipaud (ed.) Poterie Lapita et Peuplement, pp. 67–82. Noumea: ORSTOM.

1990

Changing Prehistoric Yapese Pottery Technology: A Case Study of Adaptive Transformation, pp.192. Michigan: UMI Press.

1990

Ceramic Environment and Technology: A Case Study in the Yap Islands in Micronesia. Man and Culture in Oceania 6: 35–52.

1989

Water Absorption Testing of Pacific Pottery. In D.G. Sutton (ed.) Saying So Doesn't Make It So (Monograph 17), pp. 132–152. New Zealand Archaeological Association.

1986

Pigs in Micronesia: Introduction or Re-introduction by the Europeans? Man and Culture in Oceania 2: 1–26.

1985

(With F. Leach) Archaeological Investigations in the Yap Islands, Micronesia: First Millennium B. C. to the Present Day. B.A.R. International Series 277: 200. Oxford.

1984

(With B. F. Leach and I. Smith) Fishing, Turtle Hunting, and Mammal Exploitation at Fa’ahia, Huahine, French Polynesia. Journal de la Societe des Oceanistes 79 tome 40: 183–197.

1984

(With B. F. Leach) An Archaeological Fishbone Assemblage from the Vitaria Site, Rurutu, Austral Islands. Journal de la Societe des Oceanistes 78 tome 40: 75–77.

1981

Reconnaissance Archaeological Research on Ngulu Atoll in the Western Caroline Islands. Asian Perspectives 24: 69–80.

1981

Physical Analysis of Kapingamarangi Pottery. In B. F. Leach and G. K. Ward (eds.) Archaeology in Kapingamarangi, pp. 136–137.

Presentations:

2015

"Cultural roll of prehistoric coral islanders in Micronesia." Paper presented at an International Conference "Integrating Inferences about Our Past: New Findings and Current Issues in the Peopling of the Pacific and SouthEast Asia", 22-23, June, 2015, Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History, Jena.

2014

"Human migrations and/or cultural contacts in Oceania." Paper presented at SOKENDAI International Symposium 'Modern Human Diversity on Genes and Culture: With special reference to Asia and Oceania', 3-4 February, 2014, Hayama.

2014

"Can we distinguish 'human migration' from 'cultural contacts'?: A discussion on the western Micronesian case." Paper presented at the 20th Indo Pacific Prehistory Association Congress, 12-18 January, 2014, Siem Reap, Cambodia.

2009

(With R. Ono) “What Happened to Tuna?: Prehistoric Fishing and Temporal Change of Pelagic Exploilation in Fais, Micronesia.” 19th Congress, IPPA (Indo-Pacific Prehistory Association) 4 December, 2009, Hanoi

2007

“Historical Ecology of Fais Island, Micronesia.” 21st Pacific Science Congress, 15 June, 2007, Okinawa Convention Center, Okinawa.

2006

(With R. Kikusawa) “The Distribution of Terms Related to Turmeric (Curcuma Domestica Valeton): Implications for Oceanic Culture History.” Terry Crowley Memorial Workshop on Vanuatu languages, 13-14 November 2006, Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand.

2006

(With L. A. Ling and K. Katayama) “The Morphological Examination of the Human Skeletal Remains from Fais Island, Federated States of Micronesia.” The 60th Annual Meeting of the Anthropological Society of Nippon at Kochi University of Technology, 5 November, 2006.

2005

“Cultural Significance of Turmeric (Curcuma Longa L.) in the Traditional Society of Micronesia.” Oceania Explorations Conference, 1-7 August, 2005, Tonga.

2003

“Inter-Island Exchange System as a Strategy of Resource Utilization.” Chacmool 2003 Conference, 12-15 November, 2003, Calgary, Canada.

2002

“Understanding the Colonizing Strategies of Resource Limited Islands: Evidence from Fais Island in Micronesia.” 17th IPPA Congress, 9-15 September, 2002, Taipei.

2002

“Colonization Strategy of Coral Islands in the Central Caroline Islands, Micronesia.” International Conference for the 50th anniversary of the First Lapita Excavation, 31 July–7 August, Noumea, New Caledonia.

1997

“Chinese and Venetian Glass Beads Excavated from Fais Island in Micronesia.” A poster paper presented at the Sixth Australasian Archaeometry Conference, 10-13 February, 1997, Sydney.

1997

(With J.R. Dodson) “Prehistory and Palaeoecology of Yap, Federated States of Micronesia.” A paper presented at the sixth Australasian Archaeometry Conference. Sydney, 10-13 February, 1997.

1996

“Cultural Contacts between Micronesia and Melanesia.” Paper presented at The Western Pacific, 5000 to 2000 BP: Colonisations and Transformations Vanuatu National Museum, Port Villa.

1994

“Multi-Regional Contacts of Prehistoric Fais Islanders in Micronesia.” Paper presented at the 15th Congress of Indo-Pacific Prehistory Association, Changmai, Thailand.

1992

“Pottery Tradition of Micronesia and Early Japan.” Paper presented at the 2nd Lapita Design Workshop, ORSTOM, Noumea.

1992

“Human Dispersals into Micronesia.” Paper presented at the symposium on Prehistoric Mongoloid Dispersals, 16-21 November, 1992, Tokyo University.

1991

“Why Were Pots Imported to Ngulu Atoll?: A Consideration of Subsistence Strategy.” Paper presented at the XVII Pacific Science Congress, Honolulu.

1989

“Adaptive Transformation of Ceramic Technology in the Pacific Islands.” Paper presented at the Circum Pacific Prehistory Conference, Seattle, Washington.

1987

“Environment and Technological Adaptation: A case Study of Yapese Ceramic Change.” Paper presented at the Indo-Pacific Prehistory Assoc. Micronesian Archaeology Conference, 1987, Guam.

1983

“A Review of Some Physical Properties of Pacific Pottery.” 15th Pacific Science Congress, Dunedin.

1983

“Ngulu Atoll: Its Prehistoric Contact with Yap and Palau.” 15th Pacific Science Congress, Dunedin.