Abstract:
The Lapita settlements in the Reef-Santa Cruz Island group have been recognized as pivotal in the human colonization of Remote Oceania. Since the discovery of the SESZ8, SE-RF2, and SE-RF6 Lapita sites by Roger Green in1971 a large comparative ceramic assemblage became available for tracing the directional dispersal of these people through the entrance to Remote Oceania. This archaeological research project has combined the use of an electron microprobe with a portable X-ray spectrometer and ceramic temper petrography to geochemically profile decorated and plain pottery from these ceramic assemblages. The research aim of this study was to geochemically characterise these ceramic assemblages and identify temporal differences that might directly reflect more widespread changes in regional social interactions during the first 700 years of human settlement in Remote Oceania. Through an analysis of over 1000 decorated and plain ware sherds from these sites the distribution of five ceramic geochemical composition groups were followed within the three site assemblages. The results of this study have demonstrated that an accumulation of ceramics of different geochemical origin from Nendo Island is present within these sites to varying degrees over time. These changes are likely due to a combination of social choice and access to local ceramic resources. Thus differential access or social choice of ceramic sources over time would substantially influence the outcome of a decorative seriation analysis, if it is assumed that different sources of ceramics will vary in their production of decorative designs. While the temporal evolution of Lapita decorative designs is recognized as an independent process easily viewed within the greater context, these observations may have direct repercussions on previous decorative and vessel type seriation studies used to chronologically compare these assemblages.
