Pacific Pioneers | Archaeology in the "Sea of Islands" and the first women in the field

The Pacific Ocean is the largest on our planet and the story of its human exploration and settlement is one of amazing sailing capabilities and co-adaptation between island environments and human populations. This oceanic continent contains more than 25,000 islands, from the large mountainous land of New Guinea to the smallest coral atolls of the Kiribati.

Yet, there is virtually no Pacific island that Oceanians did not visit at some point in history - a people for whom the Ocean was not an empty space of isolation but a ‘Sea of Islands’ to explore and live in (in the famous words of Epeli Hau'ofa). The archaeological exploration of this fascinating past started at the end of the 19th century and the history of its development is an intriguing topic of research in itself; bringing to light the achievements of intrepid characters, stories of cross-cultural encounters and collaborations, but also disturbing legacies linked to racial categorisation and evolutionist thought.


As often in the history of science, Pacific archaeology has long appeared as if only populated by white men pioneering the discipline. This is, however, a common historical bias that Emilie Dotte is addressing through a new research project focusing on the first women who practiced archaeology in the Pacific: rediscovering their stories and their works, ensuring that their legacy is recognised and that they regain their place in the history of science in the largest Ocean of the world.

To find out more about Emilie's research, visit: https://www.uwa.edu.au/projects/pacific-matildas-finding-the-women-in-the-history-of-pacific-archaeology