Fiji's Ancient Seafarers Dr. Patrick D. Nunn - Earthwatch Institute

THE EXPEDITION
1. PROJECT OVERVIEW
The early history of the Fiji Islands is poorly known, with most people believing legends that have no basis in
fact. Since 1994, Principal Investigator Patrick Nunn has been working with the Fiji Museum to locate and
excavate the earliest (Lapita-era) human settlements in the Fiji Islands in order to increase and disseminate
knowledge about this important subject. In December 2003, several very early sites (dating from 1100 BC) were
discovered on the Rove Peninsula in southwest Viti Levu Island. The earliest site at Bourewa Beach has been
excavated on six occasions and the research team has recovered about 2,700 pieces of intricately-decorated Lapita
pottery, some extraordinary pieces of shell jewelry, 26 human skeletons, and a piece of obsidian from Papua New
Guinea (2,610 miles away), in addition to large quantities of stone tools and edible shell debris – all dating from
1100-550 BC. With support from Earthwatch Institute, the 2009 Fiji’s Ancient Seafarers expeditions will focus on
targeted excavation, survey and analysis at Bourewa and nearby early-period sites on and near the Rove
Peninsula.
Earthwatch volunteers will be part of a 20-25-person research team undertaking a variety of tasks including
excavation, field reconnaissance, Global Positioning System (GPS) surveys, cave sediment excavation and
preliminary sample analysis. Large areas in the center of the ancient settlement site at Bourewa will be excavated,
and volunteers are likely to make significant discoveries while digging or sieving. The team will be
accommodated in the traditional Vusama Village, famed for its breezy location and its seafood.
Note: See Fiji’s Ancient Seafarers: The Research in the appendix of this briefing for information on the research
objectives, methods, and results of this project.
2. RESEARCH AREA
Physical Environment
The Fiji’s Ancient Seafarers project is based on the Rove Peninsula, which extends off the southwest coast of Viti
Levu Island, approximately an hour’s drive southwest of Nadi. Hardly developed, this scenic area probably looks
much as it did 3,100 years ago when the first people in Fiji arrived there. The southern and eastern sides of the
peninsula are made up of white sand beaches and one of the broadest fringing coral reefs in Fiji. As you travel
across the upraised spine of the peninsula, you will take in the breathtaking view of the golden-brown land
outlined by turquoise reef, with the dark blue of the deep Pacific Ocean beyond. The western side of the
peninsula is fringed by a large and impenetrable mangrove forest that has formed at the mouth of the Tuva River.
The people of the area get much of their seafood from these mangroves, in particular mangrove lobsters and other
shellfish. The open coasts are also very productive, with Vusama people specializing in the collection of sea
grapes, shellfish, octopus and many varieties of fish.
In general the Rove Peninsula is dry and covered with grassland, and there is little forest except in the valley
bottoms. Sugar cane is planted in some areas, while subsistence crops are grown closer to settlements. The area is
quite breezy, which keeps Vusama a bit cooler than other villages and helps reduce the number of mosquitoes.
The terrain is crisscrossed by trails and it is easy to find your way around. There are occasional sinkholes in the
limestone that should be avoided, together with a number of caves in which some survey work has already been
carried out.
4