Life after Lapita

Abstract

Abstract The spread of Lapita cultural groups through the New Guinea region 3350–3250 years ago and into the uninhabited remote Pacific islands from 3050–3000 years ago was one of the greatest migrations in human history. Over subsequent millennia, novel adaptations and intergenerational social linkages led to the emergence of a complex mosaic of culture and language reflected in modern Pacific populations. Broadly defined as “post-Lapita,” this chapter assesses the current breadth of archaeological information about human settlement and practices in the few centuries after the arrival of Lapita communities within the former ambit of their distribution. In doing so, the authors highlight the continuity, change, and innovations of cultural practices and behaviors that contributed to such remarkable diversity. An assessment of “transitional” post-Lapita sites indicates that the complex motifs on Lapita pottery reflecting social markers were retained in Near Oceania for several centuries longer than in Remote Oceania, where diverse social identities were quickly forged within and between island groups. Settlement patterns, social networks, and subsistence strategies were continually adapted to localized constraints and, together with ongoing population migrations and cross-cultural interaction, contributed to the Pacific region becoming one of the most culturally diverse regions in the world.