Geomorphic and Archaeological Landscapes of the Sigatoka Dune Site, Viti Levu, Fiji: Interdisciplinary Investigations

Abstract

Recent archaeological studies in Oceania have highlighted the importance of Holocene changes in island landscapes for understanding prehistoric settlement and the bultural adaptations of ancestral Pacific peoples. Some geomorphic changes can be regarded as natural background, unaffected by human culture, others are solely anthropogenic in origin, while still others represent a subtle interplay of both natural and human agency. The complexity of relevant archaeological and geological data dictates an interdisciplinary approach to research. In many Oceanian settings, a full interpretation of landscape and human history is otherwise impossible. A case in point is the Sigatoka Dune archaeological site on the south coast of the island Viti Levu in Fiji. The site lies at the eastern end of a parabolic dune field built on deltaic deposits of the Sigatoka River. The dynamic local sedimentary environment, both fluvial and eolian, has resulted in a series of well-stratified, ceramic-rich archaeological deposits that represent the key phases of Fijian prehistory, from first settlement some three millenia ago up to recent times.