By RIYA BHAGWAN
A STUDY of ancient shell deposits on Vanua Levu sparked conversations about Fiji’s history, suggesting that the island may have been inhabited earlier than previously believed.
The University of the South Pacific (USP), the Fiji Museum, and The University of the Sunshine Coast in Queensland, Australia, collaborated on research in 2016 to uncover the origins of shell deposits in the Provinces of Bua and Macuata which led to an unexpected discovery regarding the age of the shells.
Dr. Frank Thomas, explained that the results of radiocarbon dating, a way of determining the age of organic materials, from Rokodavutu, the site in Bua, indicated that some of the shells were about 4000 years old.
“The early dates pre-dated any previously known evidence of human occupation in Fiji and other parts of Remote Oceania, whose settlement is commonly attributed to the arrival of migrants bearing elements of the Lapita Culture about three thousand years ago,” Dr. Thomas stated.
At the 10th International Lapita Conference last June, Elia Nakoro, researcher at the Fiji Museum, noted that the Lapita population, known for their pottery and voyaging skills, likely inhabited Nadroga around 3000 years ago, at the sites of Bourewa and Qoqo and then spread out through southwest Viti Levu, adding that early settlers also reached Vanua Levu and many of the smaller islands offshore, including Yadua (Bua), Moturiki and Naigani (Lomaiviti) before occupying Lau Islands like Lakeba and Mago.
Questioning a naturalist’s claim about the natural deposition of the shells at Rokodavutu, Dr. Thomas said, “I am not convinced about that.”
“Although no pottery or other evidence of human presence was noted, the presence of only three shell species suggests that people might have targeted them for consumption (because) if it had been a natural deposit, you would expect a lot more shell species,” he added.
Following the initial visit in 2016, a team of USP students and staff, along with researchers from the Fiji Museum, returned to the site between July and August this year, collecting additional samples for radiocarbon dating.
Dr. Thomas stated that the collected samples have been sent to the University of Waikato, with the team still waiting for the results.
The team is hopeful that the sediment layers will yield micro-artifacts (tiny objects indicating past human activity) and plant microfossils (tiny plant remains that provide an understanding about past environments) indicative of human impact.
Highlighting the team’s significant findings at Nakorovatu, another site in Bua, Dr. Thomas stated, “The discovery of a pot base presents the opportunity to carry out residue analysis.”
Residue analysis is a method of determining the use of pottery by examining its leftover materials.
“If scientists at the Australian National University (ANU) were able to extract residue from the base of the pottery, this would be the second successful attempt on pottery from Oceania,” he said.
Investigations also took place at Culasawani in Macuata, revealing more recent radiocarbon dates, approximately 1000 years after the end of the Lapita era.
Dr. Thomas highlighted the discovery of only a few scattered pottery sherds from three test pits (small excavations, typically measuring 1×1 meter) at the site, stating that the presence of multiple shell species on the surface of the ‘shell island’ indicated a tsunami or another significant wave deposition.
“It is hoped that the dates obtained on shells will be matched with known records of tsunami or big wave events along the coast,” Dr. Thomas stated.
The research was funded by a Strategic Research Theme Grant from USP’s Research Office and the University of Tartu in Estonia.
