ABSTRACT
Profound ecological and societal change co-occurred throughout the inhabited islands of Pacific Oceania during the period of 1100–500 B.C., as is evident in all of these island groups. With the beginning of sea-level drawdown after 1100 B.C., people needed to adapt to their newfound conditions of altered coastlines and nearshore ecologies in precisely the niches where their ancestors had developed their preferred modes of life. By 500 B.C., the previously targeted seashore niches no longer existed, and instead people needed to adjust to live in different landscape configurations. Corresponding with the change in the natural setting, the archaeological records have revealed a decline and eventual loss of finely decorated pottery traditions and other ornamental displays, a physical shift in housing locations, and a broadening of resource use patterns to accommodate more land-based foods and habitats while the nearshore ecologies were transforming.
