Early Man In Fiji

Analysis of Evidence Secured by American Professor

IN a letter to Professor E. W. Gifford, of the University of California, the editor of the “PIM” said, referring to the professor’s recent archaeological work in Fiji: “I assume from what you have said that your excavations do supply evidence of the early establishment there of a pre-Polynesian or pre-Melanesian race.”

To this, the American scientist has very courteously replied as follows: — “The most that I can say for the evidence unearthed is that it indicates an early horizon of culture in Viti Levu; but to say that it is pre-Polynesian or pre- Melanesian is going too far at the pre sent state of our knowledge, and would pre-suppose the existence of other races in Fiji, for which as far as I can see there is no evidence.

“Late Fijian pottery suggests somewhat that of the New Hebrides and of New Britain. The early Fijian pottery is paralleled in part by that from Shortland Island, in the Solomons. However, there may be a big time gap between my early Fijian material and the modern Short land Island material.

“In time, I hope to make further com parisons and perhaps get more light on the possible origin of the early material which I uncovered.

“Meanwhile, I think it is idle to specu late over pre-Polynesian and pre- Melanesian inhabitants in Viti Levu.

Fijian legend speaks of a race of short people in the highlands at the time of the arrival of the ancestors of the Fijians. Possibly these might be pygmies, but again I obtained no evidence.

“An anthropometric survey of the pre sent-day inhabitants might yield evid ence of pygmy admixture, since the inlanders are shorter in stature than the coast people. Since pygmies do not make pottery, it is idle to speculate as to my early pottery having been made by pygmies. Unfortunately, no skeletal re mains were found in association with it.

“The nearest pygmies to Fiji at the present time are those of Espiritu Santo, New Hebrides. Pygmy culture both in Africa and the Pacific is of low status, and lacks any indigenous pottery making.

Any attempts at pottery-making to-day among pygmies are due to extraneous in fluences.”