The exhibition LAPITA, Oceanic ancestors showcases a panorama of the Lapita Cultural Complex through an exceptional selection of objects and fragments of objects originating mainly from New Caledonia and Vanuatu.
Based on recent archaeological discoveries which have made it possible to reassess our knowledge of prehistoric Oceania, the exhibition repositions Lapita ceramics – which date to 3000 years ago - in their historical and archaeological context.
It displays the technical specificities and stylistic diversity of Lapita objects and analyzes the still prevalent heritage of these decorative pieces in contemporary Oceanic decorative traditions.
The first international exhibition on this theme, LAPITA, Oceanic ancestors is a testimony to the history of the settlement of Remote Oceania. The Lapita ceramic tradition is historically linked to the foremost settlement of Austronesian language speakers in the South West Pacific, from the middle of the second millennium BC: these pieces of pottery, the first fragments of which were discovered at the beginning of the 20th century, remain the most identifiable archaeological markers of the spread of these populations.
