Scientists stunned by 'jewellery box' find in Fiji

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DISCOVERY: Archeologists in Fiji have discovered 3000 year old artefacts they say came from the Pacific's original settlers.people

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Archeologists have made what they call an incredible find in Fiji - a 3000 year old pot containing jewellery from the South Pacific's original people.

And they've found an extraordinary piece of pottery.

The Lapita people were the first to move across the Pacific, probably from the Bismarck Archipelago in what is now Papua New Guinea.

They were identified by their pottery style which has now been lost as the Lapita rapidly evolved into modern Polynesians, including New Zealand Maori.

Their role in Fiji has long been speculated on and now at a place called Bourewa on the south eastern coast of Viti Levu, the Fiji Museum and the University of the South Pacific (USP) have discovered a major Lepita mother lode, including the jewellery box.

Bourewa is near the major Fiji tourist resorts.

Fiji Museum's Sepeti Matararaba found the jewellery made of shells.

"As Sepeti continued excavating, he found in the middle of these two rows an upturned pot," USP School of Geography's Professor Patrick Nunn told Fairfax Media.

"Realizing the importance of this, he proceeded carefully and, when he eventually turned this upside-down pot over, he found it was filled with shell jewellery.  Nine shell rings of different sizes, four shell bracelets, six straight units with drill-holes."

Something like this has not been found before.

Another researcher also found a pot.

Professor Nunn said when she got it out she was initially disappointed because it seemed to have no decoration on it.

Then she turned it over.

"She saw the most extraordinary find ever made in Fiji," Professor Nunn said.

Cut into it was the eyes and nose Lapita motif, made of very fine dots and all in-filled with lime.

"For the first time in about 3100 years the eyes in that pot looked upon another pair of eyes. It was a most extraordinary find," Professor Nunn said.

- © Fairfax NZ News