Northern Vanuatu as a Pacific Crossroads: The Archaeology of Discovery, Interaction, and the Emergence of the "Ethnographic Present"
Date
2008
Authors
Bedford, Stuart
Spriggs, Matthew
Journal Title
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Volume Title
Publisher
University of Hawaii Press
Abstract
Northern Vanuatu is a significant crossroads region of the Southwest Pacific. This paper outlines current archaeological research being undertaken in the area, focusing on defining initial human settlement there some 3000 years ago and subsequent cultural transformations which led to the establishment of the ethnographic present. The study to date has contributed to a more detailed picture of inter- and intra-archipelago interaction, settlement pattern, subsistence, and cultural differentiation. The research contributes to regional debates on human colonization, patterns of social interaction, and the drivers of social change in island contexts.
Description
Keywords
Keywords: archaeological evidence; colonization; cultural history; human settlement; settlement history; settlement pattern; social change; Melanesia; Pacific islands; Pacific Ocean; Vanuatu Contact and exchange; Cultural transformation; Interaction; Northern Vanuatu
Citation
Collections
Source
Asian Perspectives
Type
Journal article
Book Title
Entity type
Access Statement
Open Access