Ancestral Pathways of Fiji: Using GIS to Analyze Landscapes of Movement and Lineages within the Sigatoka River Valley

Summary

This is an abstract from the "Geospatial Studies in the Archaeology of Oceania" session, at the 84th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

The concept of landscapes of movement establishes the theoretical basis for understanding meaning behind the creation and use of roads, trails, and pathways. This meaning can be categorized by "prioritized relationships" (i.e., social, political, religious, economic) which ultimately stimulate the existence of landscapes of movement. This research uses GIS to investigate prioritized relationships between the Tualeita, a prehistoric trail system on Viti Levu, and various environmental, archaeological, and genealogical factors. Socially prioritized kinship relationships in Fiji can be distinguished within lineage groups called mataqali. Traditional stories tell of ancestors traversing and settling the Sigatoka valley and locations beyond. With an understanding of ancestral migration networks, GIS analyses reveal the degree to which these routes are connected to the Tualeita. This may suggest either a high or low priority given to social and religious relationships maintained by the Tualeita. Data include ethnohistorical accounts of the Tualeita, aerial photography of trail systems in the valley, and oral traditions pertaining to genealogies.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 84th Annual Meeting, Albuquerque, NM (2019)   •
• Geospatial Studies in the Archaeology of Oceania

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Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 23731