Reconstructing the Lapita-era Geography of Northern Fiji: a Newly-discovered Lapita Site on Yadua Island and its Implications

Title
Reconstructing the Lapita-era Geography of Northern Fiji: a Newly-discovered Lapita Site on Yadua Island and its Implications
Publication Date
2005
Author(s)
Nunn, Patrick
Matararaba, Sepeti
Ishimura, Tomo
Kumar, Roselyn
Nakoro, Elia
Type of document
Journal Article
Language
en
Entity Type
Publication
Publisher
New Zealand Archaeological Association
Place of publication
New Zealand
UNE publication id
une:8523
Abstract
Questions concerning the earliest human occupation of northern Fiji were addressed by geoarchaeological survey on the island of Yadua. Yadua lies at the entrance to an ocean passage that early seafarers might have followed into central Fiji where some early Lapita sites exist. Evidence for a Lapita presence was discovered on Yadua at a small coastal flat called Vagairiki, likely to have been occupied by Lapita people around 2600 cal yr BP because of available freshwater and one of the few fringing reefs existing in the area at the time. It is concluded that the Lapita people reached Yadua and other parts of northern Fiji in a post-founder phase of Fiji history.
Link
Citation
New Zealand Journal of Archaeology, v.26, p. 41-55
ISSN
0110-540X
Start page
41
End page
55

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