The islands of Fiji were first settled by the Lapita people (originally from Southeast Asia) approximately 3500 years ago. Material remnants of their culture, often in the form of pottery, can be found in many Fijian archaeological sites. Fijians are the descendants of the Lapita people and their unique culture. Fiji was settled as a British colony in the 1800s and became an independent country (although it is still part of the British Commonwealth) in 1970. Fijian is part of the Austronesian language group, which was the widest spread language family in the world prior to colonization, spanning from Madagascar in Africa to Easter Island off the coast of South America.

HISTORY OF THE LAU ISLAND GROUP

    The Lau Island Group served as a major trading post between Viti Levu (the main island of Fiji) and Tonga because of its convenient location midway between the two.  Because of this culture contact with the Tongans through trade Lauan culture in the past and present has a Tongan flair.  The connections between these two groups remain strong today; the Fijian dialect in Lau even includes some Tongan words. The Lau group was the first area of Fiji to be introduced to Western Missionaries and religions.  Christian British missionaries reached Lau via Tonga and brought Tongans with them. The arrival of Christianity in the 1830s signaled the demise of the indigenous religion of Fiji.  Ancient Fijians practiced ancestor worship through cannibalism; contemporary Fijians practice Methodist Christianity.

   

HISTORY OF NAYAU

    Nayau is a small island (18.44 km2) in northern Lau, near the Lauan capital of Lakeba. The 2009 UAB NSF REU group excavated two prehistoric residential sites:  Wai Turu Turu and Na Masi Masi (not indicated on the map below to protect cultural resources). Wai Turu Turu was used in the past as a residential shelter around 1300 CE.  Na Masi Masi is the oldest village site on Nayau and was originally inhabited by the Lapita people.  Both sites are located in the southern portion of Nayau.

    The people of Salia village on Nayau have a story about the site of Waituruturu that has been passed down through generations. They explained that prehistorically one of the warring tribes on Nayau terraformed the cave into a rockshelter and vantage point from which they watched the sea for approaching enemies. One day the men of the rockshelter were fishing, enemies entered the cave from above using ropes and vines and killed all the women and children who were in the rockshelter.

    Anthropologists suggest that climate shifts in the 1200‘s CE led to a drastic reduction of marine resources and thus sparked the wars that occurred around 1300 CE.  Data analysis from the excavations at Wai Turu Turu will provide more insight to this theory and perhaps uncover more clues concerning the changing marine ecology of that time period.

    The Na Masimasi coastal occupation site includes a Lapita-period village and a series of house mounds, or yavus. The 2009 NSF Fellows excavated one of the large house mounds during the 2009 field season.  Several pieces of data (the size of the mound, location of certain archaeological features, etc.) lend credit to the theory that the site may have been the home of a chief or person of rank and could possibly represent a priestly residence and/or a temple.  Analysis of the material culture collected during the 2009 field season along with data analysis from past and future excavations will contribute to what is known about the history of Nayau and this prehistoric Lapita site.