1. Complexities and diversity in archaeologies of Island Melanesia / James Flexner and Mathieu Leclerc -- 2. Towards a history of Melanesian archaeological practices / Matthew Spriggs -- 3. Saltwater and bush in New Georgia, Solomon Islands: Exchange relations, agricultural intensification and limits to social complexity / Tim Bayliss-Smith, Matthew Prebble and Stephen Manebosa -- 4. From test pits to big-scale archaeology in New Caledonia, southern Melanesia / Christophe Sand, David Baret, Jacques Bolé, Stéphanie Domergue, André-John Ouetcho and Jean-Marie Wadrawane -- 5. The complexity of monumentality in Melanesia: Mixed messages from Vanuatu / Stuart Bedford -- 6. Reconsidering the 'Neolithic' at Manim rock shelter, Wurup Valley, Papua New Guinea /Tim Denham -- 7. Axes of entanglement in the New Georgia group, Solomon Islands / Tim Thomas -- 8. Four hundred years of niche construction in the western Solomon Islands / Peter Sheppard -- 9. Sustenance and sustainability: Food remains and contact sites in Vanuatu / James Flexner, Edson Willie and Mark Horrocks -- 10. From gathering to discard and beyond: Ethnoarchaeological studies on shellfishing practices in the Solomon Islands / Annette Oertle and Katherine Szabó -- 11. Mummification of the human body as a vector of social link: The case of Faténaoué (New Caledonia) / Frédérique Valentin and Christophe Sand -- 12. Organic residue analysis and the role of Lapita pottery / Mathieu Leclerc, Karine Taché, Stuart Bedford and Matthew Spriggs -- 13. Technological process in pre-colonial Melanesia / Dylan Gaffney -- 14. A Melanesian view of archaeology in Vanuatu / Edson Willie.
Summary:
Melanesia is a remarkable region in many respects, from its great ecological and linguistic diversity, to the complex histories of settlement and interaction spanning from the Pleistocene to the present. Archaeological research in Island Melanesia is currently going through a vibrant phase of exciting new discoveries and challenging debates about questions that apply far beyond the region. This volume draws together a variety of current perspectives in regional archaeology for Island Melanesia, focusing on Vanuatu, the Solomon Islands, New Caledonia and Papua New Guinea. It features both high-level theoretical approaches and rigorous data-driven case studies covering recent research in landscape archaeology, exchange and material culture, and cultural practices.
This resource is supported by the Institute of Museum and Library Services under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act as administered by State Library of Iowa.