What if a Papuan Civilization existed In history?

[Cultivation Emperor]

(Papuan Ambum Civilization) what if the Papuans of New Guinea built a thriving civilization? in this alternate history timeline, the Papuans build extensive megalithic structures (based on the Ambum Stone) and started developing complex farming societies that transform into state societies with advanced irrigation systems and urban 'garden cities'. The papuan state societies are briefly unified by loosely governed empires and they exert influence on the Torres strait islanders and Australian Aboriginals of Northern Australia. This burgeoning Papuan civilization comes with into contact with Austronesians in Indonesia and the Philippines trading with them and gaining new technologies. How would this have affected history, cultures, demographics, economics, social dynamics, languages, cultures, religion, politics, etc??

Ambum stone - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[Arkenfolm]

This burgeoning Papuan civilization comes with into contact with Austronesians in Indonesia and the Philippines trading with them and gaining new technologies

They wouldn't so much "come into contact" with them as much as butterfly their migration to eastern Indonesia and the Pacific. Some Papuan peoples were very good seafarers themselves and clearly were spreading west at the same time Austronesians were spreading east. They might reach as far as Makassar TTL.

Using estimates for the precolonial Maya, who lived in a vaguely similar environment, I could see a population of around 15-20 million on the entire island.

I'd love to see a unified empire in New Guinea. I think it's possible, despite the awful topography, assuming they import horses (maybe that would be why they'd colonise Australia--Papuans/Papuan-influenced Aboriginals could raise horses and other livestock to trade to New Guinea) and have a foundation to build on (i.e. centuries of agricultural states who have cleared a lot of the land).

Or perhaps it's simply a Majapahit-esque formation loosely ruling the entire island and nearby islands, assuming the Papuans are Indianised and build off those institutions. I think they'd be another part of the "spice islands" then they'd probably be trading certain tropical woods and incenses (maybe, IOTL these were never commercialised), nutmeg, and reselling certain Australian spices like Tasmannia peppers (which TTL would probably be domesticated).

 

[Cultivation Emperor]

Yeah, I am leaning towards this being a Majapahit-style confederated empire as well

 

[Cultivation Emperor]

They wouldn't so much "come into contact" with them as much as butterfly their migration to eastern Indonesia and the Pacific. Some Papuan peoples were very good seafarers themselves and clearly were spreading west at the same time Austronesians were spreading east. They might reach as far as Makassar TTL.

Ok, that would be quite interesting tbh.

 

[ramones1986]

Would Trans-New Guinea languages dominate the whole island, lowlands included?

 

[Cultivation Emperor]

Would Trans-New Guinea languages dominate the whole island, lowlands included?

Well yes

 

[davidsmith]

The question is why a civilisation didn't become dominant on the island of new guinea. They have some highly productive land which was utilised for food development.

 

[Arkenfolm]

Yeah, I am leaning towards this being a Majapahit-style confederated empire as well

You do have to consider that Majapahit was the product of 2,000+ years of Indian cultural development in terms of statecraft and administration, and even regionally borrowed heavily from the traditions of how local Malay and Javanese states were governed (and IIRC also the Khmer Empire, the premier superpower of Southeast Asia).

There seems to be clear cultural divides in Indonesia that you can say go back millions and millions of years due to geography (the Wallace Line, Sundaland, etc). Austronesians east of Java developed more slowly and differently, even if large empires like Singhasari and Majapahit did reach that far. I think you'd have to have some indigenous New Guinean state-building traditions before they get exposed to Indian culture as the "eastern pole" of Insular Southeast Asia, otherwise the island won't be particularly advanced.

The question is why a civilisation didn't become dominant on the island of new guinea. They have some highly productive land which was utilised for food development.

Because the highlands and lowlands are two different environments, and the highlands are nigh-impenetrable in terms of topography and splintered into a vast number of separate ethnic groups, many of whom are fiercely territorial. So agriculture ended up being "incomplete", so to speak, on the island. Particularly I think the failure to quickly spread into the lowlands of New Guinea was probably fatal for the chances of an indigenous civilisation.

 

[Cultivation Emperor]

I think you'd have to have some indigenous New Guinean state-building traditions before they get exposed to Indian culture as the "eastern pole" of Insular Southeast Asia, otherwise the island won't be particularly advanced.
Yeah, fair enough.