The gardens of Kuk Swamp
Papuans invented farming on their own, with no outside help
In a highland valley near Mount Hagen, archaeologists found traces of gardens: raised mounds and drainage ditches. By various estimates bananas, taro and yams were grown here about 7,000 years ago, and the first signs of cultivation go back some 3,000 years further. New Guinea is one of the few places where farming arose independently. Kuk has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2008.