ABSTRACT
Following the surprise raid on Pearl Harbor, the Solomon Islands was where the US and Japanese forces first fully engaged in intense battles on land, sea, and in the air. These landscapes were therefore places where both sides formulated or trialled tactics and materiel for the first time, making them critical for understanding later engagements across the Pacific theatre. These conflicts left an immense body of sites, artefacts and human remains across the islands, with lasting impacts on local cultural practices. However, despite the Solomon Islands’ Wrecks and War Relic Act (1980), which protects World War II items from export without permission, the archaeological resource related to World War II in the Solomon Islands has suffered from progressive deterioration, lack of local recognition, and mixed or indifferent management and government support for the preservation of these important heritage and tourism resources. Many aspects of the non-material World War II heritage, such as shifting island demographics and social relationships have also been overlooked. This chapter reviews the current state of World War II heritage of the Solomon Islands, especially the growing recovery and destruction of World War II materials for export as scrap metal. It also outlines an emerging framework for future research and management.
