Uncovering Vanuatu’s Volcanic Past Through Multidisciplinary Research: An Update From the Kuwae Project

Robert Henderson1*, Stuart Bedford1,2, Salkon Yona3, Jack Sarginson4, Siri Seoule3, Sönke Stern5, and Shane Cronin5

1Australian National University, Australia; 2Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Germany; 3Vanuatu Cultural Centre, Vanuatu; 4Epi Community, Vanuatu; 5University of Auckland, New Zealand; *robert.henderson@anu.edu.au

This paper presents outcomes from research conducted in central Vanuatu in connection with the multidisciplinary Kuwae Project following its introduction at IPPA22 in Chiang Mai. The project has investigated the globally significant mid-fifteenth century CE Tombuk eruption on Kuwae Island which resulted in radical transformations of physical and social landscape at a regional level. In this paper, we focus on Epi Island, the largest remnant of the defunct Kuwae landmass, tracing evidence for the Tombuk eruption and others, and situating these events within an archaeological context. Collaborative field seasons in 2022 and 2023 produced insights into Epi’s deep history, revealing a cultural sequence spanning 3,000 years and punctuated by at least two catastrophic volcanic eruptions (and various events of lesser magnitude), as shown by analyses of tephra sampled from archaeological sites and across the broader landscape. Material culture evidence demonstrates that communities living on Kuwae participated in an interactive network that linked them to one another and south to Efate, but which was ruptured by the Tombuk eruption. Nevertheless, it is evident that occupation and interaction persisted across the region despite regular exposure to volcanic hazards. This remarkable setting presents an opportunity to generate hypotheses about how traditional social systems have fostered resilience in locations where human populations are vulnerable to natural disasters and how these systems respond to major environmental disturbances.