Lapita Migration, Austronesian populations and the first settlements in remote Oceania

Conference

Published on

03 June 2015

Updated on

13 June 2017

Colloquia

The archaeology of Migrations

International colloquium organized by Inrap, in partnership with the National Museum of Immigration History.
November 12 and 13, 2015 at the National Museum of Immigration History.

Archaeology of Migrations
by Christophe Sand, Institute of Archaeology of New Caledonia and the Pacific

The first colonisation of remote Oceania was linked to an expansion of populations from the Austronesian language family, originating from South-East Asia, during the 2nd century BC. The migration of these groups can be traced through the West Pacific through the first introduction of pottery, which was distinguished by its dotted patterns and named "Lapita". This presentation aims to give a summary of the current understanding of this cultural body, key to the foundation of Oceanic societies.

Christophe Sand is director of the Institute of Archaeology of New Caledonia and the Pacific at Noumea. Of Caledonian origin, recipient of an accreditation to supervise research (HDR) as well as of a number of prizes and distinctions, he has worked on the history of the West Pacific for 30 years. His principal areas of research are: the first Lapita settlements; the process of the formation of roots and of the island culture; the intensification process linked to the emergence of traditional societies; the impact of the first European contact as well as the archaeology of the colonial period; and finally the role of historical discourse in contemporary Oceanic societies.

Bibliography

KIRCH P. V. (2000), On the Road of the Winds: An Archaeological History of the Pacific Islands before European Contact, Berkeley, The University of California Press.
NOURY A., GALIPAUD J.-C. (2011), Les Lapita. Nomades du Pacifique, Paris, IRD Éditions.
SAND C., BEDFORD S. (2010), Lapita. Ancêtres océaniens/Oceanic Ancestors, Paris, Somogy éditions d'Art/Musée du quai Branly.
SUMMERHAYES G. (2000), Lapita Interaction, Canberra, Pandanus Books (collection Terra Australis, 15).

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