Geophysical and archaeological investigation of the survivor-camp of the Antelope (1783) in the Palau Islands, Western Pacific

Abstract

Survivor-camps were an unavoidable and particular category of terrestrial shore-camp when European scientific, mercantile and imperial interests began to impinge significantly on the islands of the Pacific Ocean. In 1783 the packet Antelope was wrecked in the Palau Islands and the account of the 'new' archipelago, first published in 1788, was, after Cook's voyages, the most popular Pacific text in the late-18th century. The results of archaeological and geophysical research at the camp reported here contribute to a nuanced account of early culture contact and of survivor-camp behaviour, demonstrating the significance of shore-camp remains for understanding maritime societies. Show more