Experimental approaches to field survey in the Pacific for studying European colonialism

Abstract

This paper details the survey methodologies used by the Networks Across Oceania (NAO) Project to reevaluate the impact of the earliest European contacts (16^th and 17^th centuries). Our case studies, Moturiki (Fiyi), Alofi (Wallis and Futuna) and Rota (Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands​​) are key due to the variety of colonial experiences that they represent (direct and indirect, early and brief, or long-term), their historical trajectories, and their geographies. Our goal is achieved through methodologies of archaeological survey that define complete patterns of use of the territory, both inland and on the coastal fringes, throughout time. The methodology combines selective strategies (topography, local knowledge) and systematic random stratified surveys, adapted to the geographic and social characteristics on each islands. We carried out field work on Moturiki in 2008 and 2010, on Alofi in 2019, and on Rota in 2022 and 2024. The large number of sites identified reveals settlement patterns, agricultural practices and the transformation of the landscape since prehistory to the present. We highlight the need to adapt archaeological methodologies to the geographic and cultural features of the islands, to overcome western biases about the use of space and accessibility. The NAO project is an experimental research, combining modern tools with previous local knowledge, to obtain a diachronic and holistic picture of the territory before and after European colonialism.