Die archäologischen Ausgrabungen in ‘Apunirereha’ und ‘Ria’ auf der Insel Malaita, Salomonen

The archaeological research project done in Are’are since 2011 has been the first to be done in the area. The project is made through the cooperation between the Ministry of Culture and Tourism and the German Archaeological Institute, Commission for Archaeology of Non-European Cultures through Johannes Moser. Mr. John Tahinao the Director for Culture then is very instrumental in supporting the project and he was the person who suggested that the project must be done in his area. There is no doubt that being a trained Archaeologist at the University of Papua New Guinea he already knew that there is a potential of lithic site in his area. Mr. Tahinao has continuously appreciated every single progress of the project and in one of his respond he said the following words ‘The project is now gaining momentum’. The statement shows that the project has been successfully appreciated by the people, whom the project has been done, and the Ministry of Culture and Tourism in Honiara

Die Ausgrabungen unter dem Ria-Felsdach, Salomonen 2014 – 2015

The Excavation at ‘Ria-rockshelter’, Solomon Islands 2014–2015. The dwelling site and burial place ‚Ria-rockshelter‘. The archaeological investigations at the ‘Ria-rockshelter’ within the research project “Settlement History of Melanesia – Prehistory of the Solomon Islands” are conducted in close cooperation with the National Museum Honiara and the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, Solomon Islands. The rock overhang ‘Ria’ is located in the province East Are Are in southern Malaita and was formed by an isolated natural limestone cliff and can serve as a shelter for one to two families. The archaeological potential of the shelter was suspected during a survey in the region in 2011 and finally confirmed through a first test sounding in 2013. The excavations continued in 2014 and 2015 and revealed new results. As primary raw material sources the limestone formations are bearing a quantity of embedded chert nodules waiting to be quarried out in suitable pieces for further working and the final tool production. As secondary raw material source the gravel bed of the small river by passing the ‘Ria-rockshelter’ contains pebbles and boulders made from chert. The raw material was brought as manuports to the site for further usage. The ‘Ria-rockshelter’ shows evidences of human presence in prehistoric times. Excavations under the rockshelter disclosed cultural deposits and features and a large collection of knapped stone tools, shells and faunal remains. In the upper layers besides of several fi re places a pavement made from accurately placed pebbles (hau poro) – all are affected of heat – was unearthed and indicating an earth oven (umu). The set of lithic implements consists of a great variety of flake adzes, serrated and denticulated pieces, unmodified flakes and cores. As ornaments diverse shell pectoral pendants were found. In the rear of the shelter two extended supine burials were discovered under a pebble pavement. During the excavation in 2015 remains of a third individual, an infant, came to light. The human remains can open the possibility for anthropological and genetic analysis. The latest radiocarbon dating from the 2014 and 2015 campaign showed the following results: 527 BP ± 40 (Labcode Erl-19176, carbon from quadrant Q8, layer 2). 601 ± 35 BP (Labcode Erl-20176; carbon from quadrant P8, layer 3). 140 ± 30 BP (Labcode Poz-80516; carbon from quadrant P8, layer 4b). 396 ± 35 BP (Labcode Erl-20178; carbon from quadrant P7, layer 5) and 464 ± 34 BP (Labcode Erl-20177; carbon from quadrant P7, layer 5). Individual I: 502 ± 37 BP (Labcode Erl-20179); Individual II: 460 ± 30 BP (Labcode Beta-433422); Individual III: 640 ± 30 BP (Labcode Beta-451930)

Language continuity despite population replacement in Remote Oceania

Recent genomic analyses show that the earliest peoples reaching Remote Oceania—associated with Austronesian-speaking Lapita culture—were almost completely East Asian, without detectable Papuan ancestry. However, Papuan-related genetic ancestry is found across present-day Pacific populations, indicating that peoples from Near Oceania have played a significant, but largely unknown, ancestral role. Here, new genome-wide data from 19 ancient South Pacific individuals provide direct evidence of a so-far undescribed Papuan expansion into Remote Oceania starting ~2,500 yr BP, far earlier than previously estimated and supporting a model from historical linguistics. New genome-wide data from 27 contemporary ni-Vanuatu demonstrate a subsequent and almost complete replacement of Lapita-Austronesian by Near Oceanian ancestry. Despite this massive demographic change, incoming Papuan languages did not replace Austronesian languages. Population replacement with language continuity is extremely rare—if not unprecedented—in human history. Our analyses show that rather than one large-scale event, the process was incremental and complex, with repeated migrations and sex-biased admixture with peoples from the Bismarck Archipelago

Spanish Maritime Exploration in the South-west Pacific: the search for Mendana's lost 'almiranta, Santa Isabel', 1595

In the past decade there has been increasing interest in the archaeology of Spanish maritime exploration, colonization and trade in the western Pacific and Asia (Skowronek, 1998; 2009; Brunal-Perry et al., 2009; McKinnon and Raupp, 2011). Attention has been mostly on the north-west Pacific, associated with the operation of the highly successful Manila Galleon trade to the Philippines, where the treasures of the Americas were traded for the spices and goods of the Orient. In contrast, the several 16th- and early 17th-century Spanish expeditions to the southern Pacific searching for the 'Terra Australis' (Great Southern Land) and the gold-rich Ophir of King Solomon still remain relatively unknown (Spate, 1979; Camino, 2005)

World War II in the Solomon Islands Conflict and Aftermath

The Solomon Islands are notable as the region where Japanese and American forces first fully engaged in combat following the surprise raid on Pearl Harbor on 7th December 1941. Intense battles took place on land, sea, and in the air, with both sides formulating or trialling tactics and materiel for the first time. These conflicts left an immense body of sites, artefacts, and human remains across the islands, with lasting impacts on local cultural practices. There are also extensive bodies of primary literature which has survived from these conflicts, which represent an equally substantial resource of memoirs from all levels of combatant as well as post-war analyses and histories. Despite this wealth of documentary evidence, archaeological studies of the extensive physical remnants of World War II have been surprisingly limited, as have those of modern Solomon Islander engagements with these material legacies. This chapter provides an overview of archaeological investigations, current roles, and issues with the conservation and management of World War II heritage in modern Solomon Islander economy and society

Nu’usi und Nggela, Salomonen. Neue archäologische Forschungen auf den Salomonen Inseln. Die Ergebnisse der Feldkampagnen 2020 und 2021

The current research project is designed to focus on archaeological ­investigations on the pre- and protohistory of the Solomon Islands. In 2020 and 2021, two new research programs were initialized and field work was conducted on the island of Nu’usi in the Maramasike Passage and on the Nggela Island group in Central Province. The archaeological survey on Nu’usi yielded various features in terms of deposited flint nodules, zones of waste flakes and lithic core adzes as indications of knapping activities from the tool production and also architectural structures such as artificial heaps and ­footpaths. The archaeological survey on Nggela Island resulted in the ­discovery of eight caves and ten rock shelters. A great number of these sites are showing evidences of human presence in prehistoric times