Mission Archaeology and Colonial Encounters in Southern Vanuatu

Christian Missions were an important component of the colonial endeavours of the last 500 years. This project will explore the remains of the earliest Presbyterian missions to the islands of Tanna, Erromango, and Aniwa in southern Vanuatu. The goal is to explore the different strategies employed by indigenous people on these islands during colonial encounters with missionaries as well as traders and other colonial agents. The research will also examine ways that these encounters may have transformed everyday life for the missionaries themselves. The project will preserve and interpret archaeological sites that are important for local communities, and expand the relevance of colonial history for our understanding of the contemporary world.