The sacred stone from the sea. Archaeological and ethnographic perspectives on the ritual value of coral across the Pacific

Bibliographic Data

ID6038532
AuthorsGuillaume Molle (0000-0002-4680-9599, School of Archaeology and Anthropology ANU – CIRAP, corresponding author), Jean‐marie Wadrawane, Louis Lagarde (TROCA, Université de la Nouvelle Calédonie), D Wright (0000-0003-2546-0559, School of Archaeology and Anthropology ANU)
Year2023
Volume58
Issue1
Pages40-55
Publication date2023-04-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueArchaeology in Oceania/Archæology & physical anthropology in Oceania (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0728-4896 • E-ISSN: 1834-4453
PublisherWiley (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1002/arco.5284
OpenAlexW4320726892
LanguageEN
Citations received4
References cited55

The Pacific Islands offer a variety of marine environments providing peoples in the present and past with abundant coral materials, a “stone from the sea”. Archaeologists have long recognised the importance of coral in ancient contexts, whether as gravel, natural branches, squared blocks or cut‐and‐dress slabs. Coral was also used to manufacture tools such as files or pounders and incorporated in monumental ceremonial architecture as a favoured construction material and foundation offerings. However, Pacific Islanders also employed coral material for other ritual applications that remain overlooked in the literature. In this article, we consider the multiple uses of coral in the archaeological and ethnographic records of three Pacific regions: Central‐East Polynesia (CEP), New Caledonia and the Torres Strait Islands. This includes offering of coral branches, sometimes associated with cairns, paraphernalia and magic stones, also production of coral lime for body ornamentation. Using these case studies, we consider material selection, modes of deposition, archaeological and ethnographic contexts, associations with other features and artefacts, before interrogating the potential significance of these unrealised datasets. By doing so, we shed new light on the ritual value of coral and reflect on the symbolic nature and function of this material

Archaeology · Coral · Ethnography · Geography · MAGIC (telescope · History · Island Studies and Pacific Affairs · Maritime and Coastal Archaeology · Pacific and Southeast Asian Studies · Geology · Oceanography

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