Course description

Humans are the most adaptable species on Earth having occupied nearly every ecological niche on the planet. One of the most fascinating areas in which to study the evolution of human groups is Oceania, a watery world encompassing about one-third of the globe. When and how did people arrive on the shores of thousands of pristine islands spread across 10,000 km of sea between Asia and South America? How did people adapt their technology to accommodate the variety of landscapes from small islands less than 1 km across and barely 2 m above sea level, to large continental landmasses such as New Caledonia and New Zealand. Oceania witnessed one of the greatest maritime migrations in human history and it is here that we find some of the oldest evidence for horticulture found anywhere in the world, the farthest movement of humanly-transported artifacts in any ancient trading system, and impressive monumental architecture of great variability.

This course will introduce students to the prehistory and archaeology of the three culture areas of Oceania beginning with Melanesia in the far west, Micronesia in the northern Pacific and Polynesia which makes up the eastern half of this region. We will examine Pacific biogeography and discuss why islands are unique 'laboratories' for scientific research. We will investigate the voyaging and exploration strategies that made it possible to colonise all the Pacific islands.

The three-hour lecture/tutorial time will be filled with a combination of one or more one-hour lectures, possible video presentations, discussion and examination of key Pacific Island artefacts and fuanl materials. Each lecture period will have ample time for discussion. Students are encouraged to ask questions and participate in discussions.

Archived offerings