ABSTRACT
The archaeology of Pacific Oceania illustrates how this sea of islands came to be inhabited, in a long-term perspective and accounting for the natural and cultural history of more than one-third of the worlds’ surface. The physical configuration and social meaning of Pacific Oceania continually evolved or co-evolved throughout ever-changing circumstances. A new synthesis of Pacific Oceanic archaeology bears much to offer in global understanding of how landscapes are inhabited and sustained, how we can manage environmental and social change, what happens during and after population movements and migrations, and more.
