Abstract:
The Lapita cultural complex, often defined by its unique ceramic remains, has been a focal point of Pacific archaeology over the past fifty years. Adzes are an important component of Lapita material culture, but have been overshadowed by a focus on ceramics. Consequently, no cohesive discussion of their distribution, frequency and general variation has been maintained. This thesis aims to identify and address the key issues in Lapita adze studies via a multi-disciplinary approach. Specifically, literature relevant to Lapita adze materials is synthesised and discussed to clarify the distribution and frequency of adzes across time and space. A methodology using metrics (measurements and descriptive statistics), 3D modelling, 2D Landmark Geometric Morphometrics (GMM) and X-ray Fluorescence Analysis (pXRF) is employed to evaluate whether Lapita adzes are distinctive from later adze technologies. Then, the results of this research are positioned within an evolutionary framework to identify processes which can explain diachronic adze variation. A cohesive presentation of these components enables the evaluation of homology (i.e. cultural relatedness) between Lapita and post-Lapita adzes and, more importantly, elucidates fundamental concerns with the current state of Lapita adze studies. Subsequently, two issues become clear: 1) we must accumulate larger samples through employing collaborative approaches, and; 2) there is no quick fix for generating high-resolution explanations. Importantly, this research demonstrates that patterning is evident in Lapita adze distributions and that processes such as cultural transmission (CT), drift and natural selection are appropriate for explaining these distributions, both spatially and temporally. Ultimately, however, this thesis can serve as a theoretical, methodological and analytical platform for other researchers. Now that the breadth of Lapita adze issues has been established, we can work towards a stronger treatment of Lapita adze variation.