Exploring the Ancient Fijian Past: Insights from Lapita and Mid-Sequence Archaeological Sites in Southeast Vanua Levu

Pio Manoa

In almost eight decades of archaeological research in Fiji, the deep history of Vanua Levu, Fiji’s second largest land mass, is still largely misunderstood with only limited research conducted to date. This study aims to address this gap by reconstructing the history of human settlement, interaction, and culture change in southeast Vanua Levu, from the perspective of an indigenous Fijian archaeologist who is a direct descendant of this region. Following five months of fieldwork in southeastern Vanua Levu, three new sites were systematically excavated. The earliest of which, Vatudamu, yielded evidence of a Lapita-age settlement (c. 2800-2700 BP) with a continuous ceramic sequence into the Polynesian or Fijian Plainware period (c. 2400-2000 BP). Vatudamu signifies the first recorded Lapita settlement on the entire southern coast of Vanua Levu and offers an informative ceramic suite and stone features that present invaluable insights into the early settlement period of the island. Ceramic assemblages from two nearby sites, likely dating to the late Navatu Phase (c. 1500-1000 BP), provides crucial knowledge of ceramic style and production, mobility, and interaction patterns in the post-Lapita or mid-sequence period – a markedly understudied period of Fijian archaeology. Coupled with indigenous knowledge – oral tradition and traditional histories – the findings of this research not only enhance the depth and richness of indigenous Fijian culture and history but also ensures a more culturally grounded approach to the archaeological study of the past.