Monuments and People in the Pacific

The Pacific region consists of a multitude of island communities in avast Ocean. The people and material culture on the various islandsand island groups are not homogenous despite the close relationshipsdemonstrated by archaeological, linguistic and ethno-historical research.Monuments have generally been interpreted to be tied toideology and power and often have an extended biography with useand re-use phases. They could be considered both as part of, andactive in, shaping and re-shaping the natural and ideological landscapeof groups of people. Monuments, especially the ones that havebeen interpreted as ceremonial sites, have often been used in thediscussion of prehistoric migration and interaction of people in thePacific region but they also play an important role in current CulturalHeritage Management (CHM) and issues related to World Heritagenominations and community involvements. This volume presentscase studies from across the Pacific focussing on the relationship ofmonuments and people to chronology, ideology, re-use, biographyand CHM in a local, regional and global perspective.