The following is a translation from the German of the conclusion to Hans Schmidt's doctoral dissertation, "Rotuma: Sprache und Geschichte" (Rotuma: Language and History), submitted to the University of Hamburg in 1999.
Let me summarize
The following is a translation from the German of the conclusion to Hans Schmidt's doctoral dissertation, "Rotuma: Sprache und Geschichte" (Rotuma: Language and History), submitted to the University of Hamburg in 1999.
Let me summarize my findings and put them into a historical order.
In the Bismarck-Archipelago and the Solomon Islands there are traces of human settlement over 30,000 years old. Suddenly, at least in archaeological dimensions, a new culture spread into the South Pacific between 1,600 and 1,000 BC. It is characterized by conspicuously artful pottery designs and different vessel forms, usually accompanied by further traits such as the use of earth ovens, shell tools, obsidian, one-piece fish-hooks, adzes and scrapers made of stone and shell; their dwelling places were large and close to the coast, often on offshore islands (Pawley & Ross 1993:446).
Contrary to earlier glottochronological estimates, the Proto-Oceanic language community split up around 1,600 BC. This more precise dating has become possible now that we can safely assume that the spread of Oceanic languages paralleled the spread of a distinctive archaeological tradition labeled Lapita in the central Pacific as well as elsewhere.
Around 1,200 BC a slightly m