Pacific Archaeology

Pleistocene water crossings, long thought to be an innovation of Homo sapiens, may extend beyond our species to encompass Middle and Early Pleistocene Homo. However, it remains unclear how water crossings differed among hominin populations, the extent to which Homo sapiens are uniquely flexible in these adaptive behaviors, and how the tempo and scale of water crossings played out in different regions. I apply the adaptive flexibility hypothesis, derived from cognitive ecology, to model the global data and address these questions. Water-crossing behaviors appear to have emerged among different regional hominin populations in similar ecologies, initially representing nonstrategic range expansion. However, an increasing readiness to form connections with novel environments allowed some H. sapiens populations to eventually push water crossings to new extremes, moving out of sight of land, making return crossings to maintain social ties and build viable founder populations, and dramatica...

Collective identity is significantly influenced by religious and belief-based rituals. In this study, belief-based intangible cultural heritage (ICH) rituals from the Islamic and Japanese cultures that are listed on UNESCO's Representative List are compared in multidimensional analysis. The research investigates the convergence of ritual practices around shared anthropological imperatives, such as identity formation, temporal structuring, and the mediation of sacred presence, despite theological and cosmological divergences, through the use of a tripartite classification model-functional, typological, and processual. The investigation reveals layered symbolic grammars and performative modalities by analyzing selected Japanese elements (e.g., Hayachine Kagura, Raiho-shin, Furyu-odori) and Islamic practices (e.g., Semah, Qālišuyān, Arba'in services) in the context of classical ritual theory and UNESCO's heritage concept. The results emphasize that Islamic rituals are typically rooted in devotional intensity and prophetic historicity, whereas Japanese rituals frequently emulate animistic pluralism and ecological cyclicality. This distinction requires a comparative methodology that rejects essentialist equivalence and prioritizes contextual sensitivity. In addition, the research underscores the dual function of UNESCO's ICH Lists as both representational platforms and safeguarding mechanisms, which influence the narrative contours of cultural legitimacy and visibility. The processual dimension of ritual, which is stressed as a critical yet under-theorized axis within heritage discourse, is its ability to generate communitas, enact symbolic inversion, and facilitate ontological transformation. Rituals like Hayachine Kagura and Qālišuyān are examples of liminal architectures that transcend doctrinal boundaries. However, their heritage inscription frequently reduces their complexity to aesthetic registers. In conclusion, the research promotes a culturally grounded, ethically attuned, and reflexive approach to ritual analysis within global heritage frameworks. The proposed classification model contributes to the advancement of inclusive and transparent scholarship in intangible heritage studies by functioning not only as a heuristic tool but also as a critical apparatus for interrogating the normative architectures of heritage representation.

The concept of relational personhood is well-developed in Melanesian ethnography and often cited by archaeologists globally, yet it has rarely been applied archaeologically in this region. Drawing on anthropological theory, local oral traditions, and recent archaeological fieldwork on two islands in the southern Massim region of Papua New Guinea, this paper examines secondary cave burials and the objects they were interred with as material expressions of relational personhood. Human skeletal remains were deliberately fragmented, selected, modified, and arranged alongside culturally significant objects such as pottery, which were also often intentionally fragmented. Secondary burials containing individuals of different ages, combined with emphasis on anatomical elements, particularly the skull, indicate that relational personhood was materially enacted through the intentional commingling of bones and artefacts. Objects such as complete pots and pot sherds, shell ornaments, and stone axes acted as synecdochic and metonymic agents of identity, provision, and ancestral continuity. Rather than being merely symbolic, these secondary burial assemblages instantiate enduring networks of kinship and exchange, integrating the dead into ongoing social processes of the living. This study offers a contextual model for Melanesian mortuary practices and contributes to broader debates on the material patterning of personhood and ethnographic analogy in archaeological interpretation in the Pacific region and globally.

This paper presents the first detailed published analysis of a significant artefact assemblage from the Waikato coast (Port Waikato to Awakino). It centres on the study of surface collections made in the late 1980s from eroding middens near the mouth of the Waikorea Stream, south of Port Waikato. Five trolling lures are a feature. They are notable because of similarities in style to those from Wanganui-Taranaki, and the fact that few lures have previously been described or illustrated from the Waikato coastal area. The study also provides insights into connections with other areas as reflected in the presence or absence of various lithic materials.

A discrepancy exists between scientific conclusions and ancient occult science regarding the age of Easter Island’s [Rapa Nui]] statues. While H.P. Blavatsky claims they are millions of years old, Professor G. Rahm argues they are only a few centuries old based on erosion evidence.

We propose a computational approach to the decipherment of rongorongo, the undeciphered script of Easter Island (Rapa Nui). Building on calibration from the Mamari lunar calendar (Guy 1990) and distributional analysis, we identify 48 phonetic signs covering 93.6% of the classic corpus (14,906 glyphs across 13 tablets, A–S).

Validation

Permutation test: p = 0.0004 (26-sign core)
Leave-one-tablet-out cross-validation: Z = 3.54, p < 0.001
Leave-one-family-out (parallel copies removed together): Z = 4.65, p < 0.001
Removing all borrowed words strengthens the signal: Z = 5.88, p < 0.001
External validation (Pozdniakov 2007): vowel core 4/4, frequency correlation rho = 0.563, p < 0.01
Grammatical particle ratio: 31.1% (vs 32.9% in spoken Rapa Nui)
Confidence

A confidence matrix classifies 9 signs as near-certain (kill-shot + external confirmation), 31 as strong, and 7 as speculative. All readings are classified Exploratory (D) and remain hypotheses to be tested.

Key readings

Na1  "raaraa raaraa raaraa raa te o ua" — Brilliant, brilliant, brilliant: the sun, of the rain
Ca3  "i te ata, i te tiraki, i te tahua" — In the shadow, in the rising, in the ceremonial place
Pv7  "mai mai mate mate ura" — Come, come, die, die, red (Grand Texte death passage)
The Santiago Staff (2,489 glyphs) is best interpreted as a name list (94% unique entries), consistent with earlier hypotheses by Guy and Butinov-Knorozov.

Supplementary Materials (data tables, interlinear readings, confidence matrix, robustness checks) available at https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.19352915

Cremation is the method that is used to burn the body of the deceased into ashes where it then transferred into an urn for burial or to be kept, unlike the traditional burial system where the body of the deceased used to be buried into pit. Cremation could be an alternative to traditional burial practices through reducing the body into ashes by high heat in a specialized furnace. In addition, during the processes of cremation, there are few impacts usually left behind through the emission which directly affect the environment. It also has tremendous impacts on the five (5) aspects of life that include physical, spiritual, social, cultural, and emotional which challenge mankind. Although, despite all these disadvantages it has, it would be much better if the pacific island countries practice cremation of the deceased or is taken into consideration with respect to the following arising problems caused by traditional burials or cemeteries which will be discussed below.

The oil, chemicals and unexploded ordnances still on board many of these
vessels pose a grave and imminent danger to the people and fisheries of the region as well as the marine and coastal environments of many small island nations in the Pacific.
The recent oil spill from the sunken oil tanker the USS Mississinewa in Micronesia, is an example of the problems presented by deteriorating WWII wrecks across the Pacific.
This paper examines some of the issues facing the Pacific Small Island Nations.
ISSN 1321-7593

The Queen Street Gaol Site (R11/1559) excavation in 1987 was one of Ta maki Makaurau Auckland's earliest large-scale archaeological investigations of a 19th century colonial site. However, one of its significant findings related to much earlier Ma ori occupation along the Waihorotiu Stream. Despite over 40 years of work in Auckland, the site remains the only securely dated Ma ori site in the Auckland Central Business District. Redating samples from the site confirmed the likelihood of human presence in Ta maki Makaurau, Auckland as early as AD 1290. This discovery aligns with evidence from other early settlement sites around the Waitemata Harbour and the Hauraki Gulf. The Gaol site also provided evidence of Ma ori occupation in the AD 1430s-1690s, including ko and ketu (digging and weeding sticks), ochre, woven flax, and shell midden deposits which suggest an established community engaged in gardening and marine resource exploitation. These results offer insights into the landscape history of the Horotiu Valley, a topic that has received little attention despite the increasing number of excavations in the region. The redating of material from the Queen Street Gaol underscores its significance in debates over the timing and environmental impact of early Polynesian settlement in Aotearoa, New Zealand.

To evaluate burial customs in the Jomon period of Japan, we observed the taphonomic signatures of human bones from a secondary collective burial and compared them with those from individual burials. We compared the compositions of identified bone parts, degree of weathering, and damage of the bone surfaces based on two neighboring shell-mound sites, Gongenbara and Horinouchi in Chiba Prefecture; a famous secondary collective burial had previously been discovered at the Gongenbara shell-mound. The degree of weathering differed between the collective and individual burials, and also differed depending on the horizontal and vertical location within the collective burial. These differences imply that a variable degree of weathering plausibly occurred at or after the secondary burial, but not at the primary burial. Regarding bone surface damage, specific types of damage were more frequently observed on the limb bones in the collective burial than in the individual burials, although different types of damage were observed in the skull assemblage. These findings suggest that different burial processes could cause the secondarily reburied bones to be exposed to the air for a longer duration of time or more easily be accessed by insects or other small animals, which might have produced variable taphonomic signatures.

Contents
1
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
1.1
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
1.2
Why Protect World War II Wrecks? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
1.3
Chuuk Lagoon—An Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
1.3.1
Cultural Heritage Law of the Federated States of Micronesia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
1.4
The Legal Framework of Ocean Governance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
1.5
Major Themes of This Work . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
1.6
Structure of This Work . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
2
Cultural Heritage—Competing Conceptions and Significance . . . . . . 35
2.1
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
2.2
What is Cultural Heritage? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
2.2.1
Non-legal Definitions and Contemporary Socio-cultural Theories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
2.2.2
A ‘Cultural Process’ and a ‘Resource of Power’ . . . . . . . . 49
2.2.3
Does Law Perceive Heritage as a ‘Process’ or a ‘Thing’? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
2.2.4
Dark Heritage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
2.3
Who Owns Cultural Heritage? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
2.3.1
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
2.4
Heritage as a Public Interest in Private Property . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
2.4.1
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
2.4.2
Ownership of Cultural Heritage by States . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
2.4.3
Cultural Heritage Ownership Under International Law . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
2.4.4
Philosophical Perspectives on Who Owns Cultural Heritage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
2.5
Cultural Nationalism and Internationalism . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
2.5.1
Does Dualism Remain an Adequate Representation or Framework for Examining Philosophical Questions of Ownership of Cultural Heritage? . . . . . . . . . 72
2.5.2
Legal Actors in International Law: Nation-States, Individuals and International Organisations . . . . . . . . . . . . 74
2.5.3
Subnational Groups—Cultural Heritage Ownership Rights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
2.6
Conclusion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88
References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90
3
The Emergence of the International Protection of Cultural Heritage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107
3.1
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107
3.2
Abuse of Cultural Heritage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121
3.2.1
Abuse of Cultural Heritage—Why Does It Matter? . . . . . 123
3.2.2
Abuse of Cultural Heritage in Conflict Zones . . . . . . . . . . 125
3.2.3
Attempts by Dominant Groups to Conceal Cultural Heritage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129
3.2.4
Destruction of Cultural Heritage Through Commercialisation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130
3.3
Heritage, Globalisation and International Law . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136
3.4
Embryonic Developments in the Protection of Cultural Heritage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139
3.4.1
Development of British Ancient Monuments Protection Legislation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144
3.5
International Developments in the Protection of Cultural Heritage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 148
3.5.1
The Law of the Hague—Rules of Military Engagement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 149
3.6
Protection of Cultural Heritage During Warfare and Conflict . . . . . 151
3.6.1
The Hague Convention on the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict 1954 . . . . . . . . . . 151
3.6.2
First Protocol to the 1954 Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 154
3.6.3
Second (1999) Protocol to the 1954 Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 155
3.6.4
The Four Geneva ‘Red Cross’ Conventions of 1949 and Their Additional Protocols of 1977 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157
3.7
Protection of Cultural Heritage in Times of Peace . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 159
3.7.1
The 1970 UNESCO Convention on the Means of Protection and Prevention of the Illicit Import, Export and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 159
3.7.2
The 1972 Convention for the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage . . . . . . . . . . . . 163
3.7.3
The 1995 UNIDROIT Convention on Stolen or Illegally Exported Cultural Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166
3.7.4
The 2000 United Nations Convention Against Transnational Organised Crime . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 168
3.8
International Judicial Protection of Cultural Heritage . . . . . . . . . . . 170
3.9
Conclusion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 172
References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 174
4
The Physical Environment of Underwater Cultural Heritage . . . . . . . 193
4.1
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 193
4.2
Why We Need Ocean Governance Regulation: Opening ‘Pandora’s Box’ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 205
4.2.1
Historical Attempts to Recover Lost Relics from the Marine Environment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 205
4.3
The Quest for Treasure Beneath the Seven Seas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 207
4.3.1
The Search for Treasure: Archival Sources . . . . . . . . . . . . 207
4.4
Oceanic Histories That Focus on the Unique Underwater Cultural Heritage Found Beneath the Water Bodies of the World . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 211
4.4.1
The Atlantic Ocean . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 213
4.4.2
The Caribbean Sea . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 223
4.4.3
The Mediterranean Sea . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 227
4.4.4
The Indian Ocean . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 234
4.4.5
The Pacific Ocean . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 246
4.5
Nan Madol—The ‘Venice of the Pacific’ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 253
4.6
Submerged World War II Cultural Heritage in the Pacific Ocean . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 257
4.7
What Is Underwater Cultural Heritage? A Legal Perspective . . . . . 264
4.8
Conclusion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 272
References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 273
5
Underwater Cultural Heritage: The Legal Environment . . . . . . . . . . . 297
5.1
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 297
5.2
The Intricacies of International Law and the Interface Between Private International Law and Public International Law . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 307
5.3
What Is Law? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 314
5.4
International Law and Legal Order in the World’s Ocean’s in Antiquity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 316
5.5
Theories of Law: Natural Law and Positivist Law . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 319
5.5.1
Natural Law . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 320
5.5.2
Modern Natural Law . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 322
5.5.3
Legal Positivism . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 323
5.6
International Law in the Grotian Age and the Battle of the Books . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 325
5.6.1
Events Leading up to the ‘Battle of the Books’ . . . . . . . . . 326
5.6.2
Do Hugo Grotius’ Works Remain Relevant to Contemporary Sea Matters? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 328
5.6.3
The Relevance of Grotius’ Writings to the Protection of Underwater Cultural Heritage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 329
5.7
The Treaty of Westphalia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ....

Archaeological evidence suggests that dogs were introduced to the islands of Oceania via Island Southeast Asia around 3,300 years ago, and reached the eastern islands of Polynesia by the fourteenth century AD. This dispersal is intimately tied to human expansion, but the involvement of dogs in Pacific migrations is not well understood. Our analyses of seven new complete ancient mitogenomes and five partial mtDNA sequences from archaeological dog specimens from Mainland and Island Southeast Asia and the Pacific suggests at least three dog dispersal events into the region, in addition to the introduction of dingoes to Australia. We see an early introduction of dogs to Island Southeast Asia, which does not appear to extend into the islands of Oceania. A shared haplogroup identified between Iron Age Taiwanese dogs, terminal-Lapita and post-Lapita dogs suggests that at least one dog lineage was introduced to Near Oceania by or as the result of interactions with Austronesian language speakers associated with the Lapita Cultural Complex. We did not find any evidence that these dogs were successfully transported beyond New Guinea. Finally, we identify a widespread dog clade found across the Pacific, including the islands of Polynesia, which likely suggests a post-Lapita dog introduction from southern Island Southeast Asia. When people spread from west to east across the Pacific Ocean they did not travel alone. Often dogs (Canis familiaris), pigs (Sus scrofa), chickens (Gallus gallus) and rats (Rattus exulans) were part of these migrations. The presence of dog, pig, chicken and rat bones in archaeological sites attest to their inclusion in migratory voyages. However, moving domesticated animals across increasingly wider ocean gaps and onto often smaller, and more environmentally depauperate, islands of the Pacific, with no established agricultural economies, may have posed considerable challenges. The archaeological evidence for the introduction of domestic and commensal animals into the region is patchy and discontinuous 1,2 , which may signal some of the difficulties inherent in the establishment of viable animal populations, or indicate human choices made in relation to their transportation and management. Explanations for the late Holocene human colonisation of Remote Oceania draw on archaeological and linguistic data to model the movement of Austronesian language speakers out of Taiwan and into the Pacific,

Subsurface excavations, paleoenvironmental sampling, and Bayesian modeling clarify upland field development in Kula, Maui. We report 26 radiocarbon determinations from 13 agricultural and 2 ritual feature complexes associated with swale terraces, enclosure walls, and water channels. We model five architectural phases: Preconstruction, Primary Construction, Secondary Modification, Enclosure Works, and Post-European Reuse. Preconstruction land use begins at least the late thirteenth to fifteenth centuries A.D., followed by terrace expansion mainly from the fourteenth to seventeenth centuries and later rebuilding on aggraded swales. Enclosure Works appear chiefly in the late seventeenth to early nineteenth centuries and likely supported plot subdivision and pig management. Paleoecological and faunal records indicate persistent open shrubland, trees concentrated along field margins, more warm-season grasses, and increased fire use and crop processing without forest recovery. Terraces and channels redistributed stormwater and soil moisture in a dry upland setting without perennial streams, creating a district-scale productive system linked to ritual authority and wider dryland and wetland economies.

Paleolithic beads spanning at least 200,000 years have been found from many regions of the Old World: Africa, Europe, Levant, Eurasia and the Indian sub-continent.  These beads are generally classified as "personal ornamentation" covering a wide range of materials, forms, and antiquities.  An important focus of Paleolithic bead studies has been to determine when these "personal ornaments" first represented modern symbolic group behavior and emergence of modern man.

A diagnosis of leprosy—now known as Hansen’s disease—carried a stigma that predated the modern era. For a Crucian youth in the early 20th century, such a diagnosis meant more than physical ailment; it triggered a forced removal to the St. Croix Leper Asylum. This article will explore the arrival and treatment of leprosy and its effect on the social landscape of the US Virgin Islands.
What were the conditions Mr. Pete endured throughout his long life in a segregated colony within an already segregated colony? What were the origins of the disease? How were the infected treated? Were there any advancements in treatment?, Most importantly, what effects did it have on the Crucian population? For answers we need to go back to the origins of leprosy and the reverberations of the disease in the US Virgin Islands.

Ancient DNA data from Palau reveal longstanding genetic continuity and show that the major admixture between Papuans and East Asians that occurs in many Remote Oceanians today was present among the ancestors of the first settlers more than 3,200 years ago.

The documentation and valorisation of underwater Cultural Heritage (UCH) increasingly depend on advanced digital technologies capable of enhancing perception, safety, and decision-making during submerged operations. In this framework, we present a set of innovative digital solutions developed to improve both real-time understanding and subsequent analysis of underwater archaeological contexts.

Purpose-The purpose of this paper is to examine the evolution of the tourism sector on Rapa Nui (Easter Island) and its interaction with social transformations before, during, and after the COVID-19 pandemic. Design/methodology/approach-The data were collected through semi-structured interviews with residents, tourism stakeholders and public authorities, complemented by participant observation and analysis of policy documents, official reports and tourism initiatives. Findings-The findings show that tourism has been a key driver of social transformation on Rapa Nui, generating both pressures and opportunities. Originality/value-The originality or value of this study lies in its focus on Indigenous perspectives and cocreation processes in a small, remote island context, demonstrating how crisis moments can catalyse shifts toward more locally driven and sustainable tourism models.

Early nineteenth century seulements of the Ngali Toa tribe on M ana and Kapiti Islands and the adjacent mainland are historically documented. Little is known about the earlier inhabitants of this region, although according to traditional accounts it was occupied by several tribes including the Ngai Tara. This paper describes recent excavations in two areas o f Site R26/ 14 l on Mana Island, and the artefac tual assemblages recovered. At least four c ultural layers were encountered. It is concluded that the cultural sequence at Site R26/141 comprises two main occupations separated by several centuries. A range of activities are represented, including tool manu facture, fishing and hunting. A comparison is made with artefacts from other sites in the Cook Strait region.

La política comercial transpacífica se fue definiendo en las tres primeras décadas del siglo XVIII a través de diferentes reglamentos. Estos puntos codificadores fueron solo una parte de un proceso complejo que nunca estuvo completamente cerrado a la influencia de los diferentes intereses que participaban del Galeón de Manila y que solo parcialmente llegaron a
equilibrarse en 1734. En este trabajo nos proponemos analizar la situación deparada al comercio transpacífico desde su promulgación, acercándonos a la organización resultante durante la primera década de su vigencia, y destacando que, a pesar de los vínculos y lazos forjados a ambos lados del océano por la actividad mercantil, la disputa en el ejercicio de la influencia de cada una de las partes fue un elemento constante de la misma, como puso de manifiesto la pugna por los retornos de plata desde Acapulco.

This research embarks on an in-depth exploration of the physical maturation of the Indian Pariah dog, aiming to trace the intricate journey these animals undertake from the fragile uncertainty of puppyhood to the confident sturdiness of adulthood. To capture the breadth and depth of this process, the study carefully selected 44 thriving Pariah dogs—each group reflecting a different milestone in a dog’s life cycle: the newborn curiosity of 1 month, the energetic growth of 3 months, the young vigour at 1 year, and the seasoned maturity reached by 3 years. By dividing the cohort into these four precise age brackets, the research honors the distinct rhythms and transformations unique to each stage. Fieldwork unfolded with a blend of scientific rigor and everyday practicality. Researchers used nothing more than a flexible measuring tape and precise digital calipers, keenly observing and documenting physical shifts with every measurement. Height at the withers, overall body length, girths of heart and neck, back and rear heights—each was measured routinely, three times per dog, ensuring that no detail was lost and that each number told a true story. Skull parameters, too, were charted with care: lengths, widths, and facial reference points formed a more complete picture of head growth and change.

What emerged from these datasets was a remarkable chronicle of transformation. In that critical first year, the dog’s stature rocketed—height at the shoulders multiplying nearly fourfold. Body length and chest girth surged in tandem, tripling and providing space for ever-stronger lungs and heart. The jaw grew with a vigor that was nothing short of stunning, stretching sixfold—an evolutionary strategy ensuring survival, resilience, and the ability to adapt to a varied diet. Every centimeter gained in height, every increment in girth, is more than just anatomy—it is the raw story of bones lengthening for endurance, chests broadening for stamina, and jaws growing to tackle both feast and famine. These precise and predictable growth patterns are more than clinical observations. They serve as essential guideposts for veterinarians striving to track healthy development, breeders seeking to select robust animals for future generations, and researchers intent on preserving the unique genetic riches of India’s indigenous dogs. By offering specific reference values and growth benchmarks, the study anchors practical recommendations for care and conservation—laying a foundation not only for individual health, but for the sustainability of the breed itself in a changing world.

HAL is a multi-disciplinary open access archive for the deposit and dissemination of scientific research documents, whether they are published or not. The documents may come from teaching and research institutions in France or abroad, or from public or private research centers. L'archive ouverte pluridisciplinaire HAL, est destinée au dépôt et à la diffusion de documents scientifiques de niveau recherche, publiés ou non, émanant des établissements d'enseignement et de recherche français ou étrangers, des laboratoires publics ou privés. Recension de " Leblic Isabelle, 2008. Vivre de la mer, vivre avec la terre... Savoirs et techniques des pêcheurs kanak du sud de la Nouvelle-Calédonie. Paris, Société des Océanistes, Travaux et documents océanistes 1, 283 p., tabl., illustr., bibliogr., index.. "

The colonisation of the Mariana Islands in Western Micronesia is likely to represent an early ocean dispersal of more than 2000 km. Establishing the date of human arrival in the archipelago is important for modelling Neolithic expansion in Island Southeast Asia and the Pacific, ...

The colonisation of the Mariana Islands in Western Micronesia is likely to represent a long distance ocean dispersal of more than 2000 km, and establishing the date of human arrival in the archipelago is important for modelling Neolithic expansion in Island Southeast Asia and the Pacific. In 2010, Clark et al. published a paper discussing a number of radiocarbon dates from the Bapot-1 site on Saipan Island, but a disparity between charcoal and marine shell (Anadara sp.) results prevented the calculation of a definitive age for the site and left open the possibility that Bapot-1 was first settled as early as 3500 cal BP. Here we present new research using a combination of stable isotope (δ 13 C and δ 18 O) and 14 C information to demonstrate that A. antiquata from the lowest layers of Bapot-1 is affected by hardwaters. These new results indicate human arrival at Bapot-1 occurred around 3200-3080 cal. BP (1250-1130 BC). We recommend a similar isotopic evaluation for other sites in the Marianas that are dated by marine shell.

The conservation of excavated wrecks or abandoned aircraft is of cultural and historical interest. A first step in understanding the challenges posed by this type of cultural heritage and in finding solutions for its conservation is to document the constituent materials and their subsequent alterations. In the project PROCRAFT, aircraft wrecks from six nations involved in WWII were collected and then studied. Analysis of the elemental composition together with archival research allowed identification of the wrought aluminium alloys used in the non-structural and structural parts of the aircraft. Three manufacturing processes were recognised: rolling, extrusion and forging. The corrosion protection treatments applied during manufacturing of the aircraft parts were also examined, which revealed cladding with a thin aluminium foil, anodisation or the application of primer/paint. Based on typical examples of the alterations that occurred in the metal components, we demonstrate the importance of this original protection against the aggressiveness of the environment.

ABSTRACTTwo recent papers, by Lipson et al. and Posth et al., have challenged current interpretations of the initial settlement of Remote Oceania. We invited Stuart Bedford, who is an author on both papers, to outline their importance, and a number of scholars in various disciplines to comment on their findings.

fue construido en el astillero de Pasajes en 1681. Gracias al dibujo que se realizó con motivo de la investigación abierta tras su naufragio, podemos conocer algunos detalles de su diseño. Tal y como se observa en la leyenda de la imagen, conservada en el Archivo General de Indias de Sevilla, el buque había sido construido "conforme las reglas y medidas que dispone la ley 22, lib. 9, tit. 29, número 12 de la Recopilación y la nota que está al fin del dicho título". Por tanto, si nos atenemos a este enunciado, el galeón debía cumplir con las dimensiones fijadas por el Consejo de Indias el 22 de marzo de 1679 para los galeones de 800 t (Tabla 1). Ciertamente, el galeón Nuestra Señora del Mar, San José y San Francisco de Paula arqueaba 852,5 t y ⅛ t -aunque en el dibujo aparezca anotado que era de 862,5 t-. No obs-

Recent genome-wide studies have conclusively demonstrated pre-Columbian genetic contact between Polynesian and Native American populations circa 1150 to 1430 CE. The 2020 Ioannidis study identified Colombia/Zenú-like ancestry in the Marquesas, Palliser, and Mangareva islands, while the 2024 Moreno-Mayar ancient DNA study found Central Andean Highlands affinity as the best proxy for Rapa Nui's Native American component, a pattern consistent with two distinct contact events from different South American source regions. While these findings have been widely interpreted as evidence of Polynesian voyages to South America, we argue that this interpretation reflects interpretive bias rather than evidentiary constraints. Critically, admixture genetics cannot determine the direction of travel, the geographic location of contact, or whether voyages were intentional or accidental. Recent archaeobotanical evidence strengthens the case for South American agency: starch residue analysis from Rapa Nui's earliest settlement layers (Berenguer et al. 2024) identified four South American cultivars (sweet potato, cassava, achira, and malanga) alongside Polynesian crops including breadfruit, ginger, and the tropical trees Spondias dulcis and Inocarpus fagifer. The temporal alignment between these crop residues (1000 to 1300 CE) and the genetic admixture windows supports contact events during this period. Crucially, while South American crops reached Polynesia, no Polynesian cultigens have been identified in pre-Columbian archaeological contexts along the Pacific coast of South America, an asymmetry the Polynesian-agency hypothesis struggles to explain. When evaluated against the complete evidentiary record, including oceanographic modeling, the evidence for South American maritime capabilities, the conspicuous absence of Polynesian archaeological signatures in South America, and this unidirectional crop transfer, the most parsimonious explanation is that South 2 American maritime traders, likely from the Chincha, Moche-Chimú, and Manteño-Huancavilca cultures, were carried westward to Polynesia by the Humboldt Current and trade winds in separate events.