Loyalty Islands Archaeological Project: Phase I (Tiga Island) (2007-2009)

This project aims to understand the cultural patrimony of Tiga, smallest of New Caledonia s Loyalty Islands. The expected outcome is a model of historical change that has an international scientific impact but still makes sense to local people. The project s significance is twofold. It will substantially boost scientific knowledge of New Caledonia s unique archaeology. Research elsewhere in the southwest Pacific is advancing rapidly and New Caledonia must keep pace. The study will also produce broadly applicable methodological innovations that integrate science and indigenous knowledge at a time when archaeology is adjusting to the complex demands of the postcolonial era.