Origins and Transformations: The Western Islands of the Pacific Ocean

Research programs focused on the islands of the Western Pacific Ocean are increasingly dedicated to the analysis of post-colonization processes. Models describing the ecological transformation of islands, demographic changes, and the technological innovations developed by settled populations to maintain social connections over vast distances articulate with ever more discrete spatially and temporally-sensitive archaeological analyses to provide a framework to interpret these processes. These studies contribute to better resolution of the development of evolutionary trajectories creating favorable conditions for more complex social organization. This symposium highlights recent studies in a number of archipelagos, including the Marianas, Fiji, Tonga, and Samoa.