Northern Vanuatu as a Pacific crossroads: The archaeology of discovery, interaction, and the emergence of the "ethnographic present"

Stuart Bedford*, Matthew Spriggs

*Corresponding author for this work

    Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

    42 Citations (Scopus)

    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.

    Original languageEnglish
    Pages (from-to)95-120
    Number of pages26
    JournalAsian Perspectives
    Volume47
    Issue number1
    DOIs
    Publication statusPublished - 2008

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