ABSTRACT

This book integrates a region-wide chronological narrative of the archaeology of Pacific Oceania. How and why did this vast sea of islands, covering nearly one-third of the world’s surface, come to be inhabited over the last several millennia, transcending significant change in ecology, demography, and society? What can any or all of the thousands of islands offer as ideal model systems toward comprehending globally significant issues of human-environment relations and coping with changing circumstances of natural and cultural history? A new synthesis of Pacific Oceanic archaeology addresses these questions, based largely on the author’s investigations throughout the diverse region.

chapter 2|27 pages

Regional context and perspectives

chapter 6|35 pages

First contact with the Remote Oceanic environment

The Mariana Islands at 1500 B.C.

chapter 7|24 pages

A siege of ecological imperialism

Lapita invasions, 1100 through 800 B.C.

chapter 8|12 pages

The end of an era

Adjusting to changing coastlines, 1100 through 500 B.C.

chapter 14|16 pages

Living with the past

Life, lore, and landscape in Pacific Oceania