Lapitas, oceanic ancestors

Exhibition catalogue "Lapita, oceanien ancestors" shoxn at the musée du quai Branly, Paris (9 november 2010 - 9 january 2011).

Based on recent archaeological discoveries that have led us to reassess our knowledge of prehistoric Oceania, the exhibition repositions Lapita ceramics – which dates to 3000 years ago - in its historical and archaeological context.

It displays the technical specificities and stylistic diversity of Lapita objects and analyzes the still prevalent heritage of these decorative pieces in contemporary Oceanic decorative traditions. 
The first international exhibition on the subject, LAPITA, Oceanic ancestors is a testimony to the history of the settlement of Remote Oceania.

The Lapita ceramic tradition is historically linked to the first settlement of Austronesian language speakers in the Southwest Pacific, from the middle of the second millennium BC. These potteries, the first fragments of which were discovered in the beginning of the 20th century, remain the most identifiable archaeological markers of the spread of these populations.