A team of archaeologists led by Dr Stuart Bedford and Professor Matthew Spriggs of the Australian National University have made a number of important archaeological finds at several villages on Epi island in July and August 2006. The team also included Dr Frederique Valentin of the University of Paris and Jacques Bole of the New Caledonia Museum, both specialists in the study of human bones, Andrew Hoffman of the Vanuatu Cultural Centre and Cultural Centre fieldworkers for EPi island Salkon Yona and Martha Alick.
The most important finding was what has turned out to be the deepest archaeological site in Vanuatu, a large mound in the middle of Mabfilau village which was made up entirely of ancient rubbish - discarded shells, broken stone axes and knives, bits of pottery, oven stones and animal bones. The excavation here went down over four and a half metres and still did not reach the bottom of the mound. Remains found so far all seem to date to between about 800 and 500 years before Christ (BC), immediately after the Lapita period of Vanuatu's first people. It seems that for a few hundred years the ancient villagers of Mabfilau threw all their rubbish into a single heap that grew to be a small hill. Most recently part of the hill was levelled and a church now sits on top of it.
Dr Bedford said "The villagers were amazed to find that the hill was not natural but was completely built up of ancient artefacts and dirt swept up from around their ancestors' houses". The team hope to return next year to get to the bottom of the mound. The hole dug this year was becoming dangerous as it was so deep and so a bigger hole will be needed for safety reasons to keep going down.
Very deep excavation pits seem to be a feature of Epi as the team also dug some deep holes at Vasoro village on Lamen Island, going down three metres through habitation remains and volcanic ash layers. Up to five old village levels were found and although the archaeologists still need to get dates from the charcoal and shells they found they believe the earliest village they dug on Lamen could be 1500 or 1000 years old. Again many artefacts of ancient village life were found. One of the most exciting was a piece of obsidian used as a knife. It probably was traded in from the Banks Islands where this rare stone can be found.
The team also mapped one of the Island's nasaras that has been damaged by a new church building. They hope to return to Lamen Island to map more of the old nasaras and also investigate the Lamen Bay area of mainland Epi next year.
Last year while holding awareness meetings in various villages on Epi the archaeologists were told of findings of human graves while digging toilet pits in several different areas. The human bone specialists Valentin and Bole were kept busy this year investigating two such sites, one at Voam Bay and the other on a plantation near Burumba High School. They gave a talk at the High School about their work. The burials at Voam Bay had all been disturbed by pit digging and are probably not very old but an ancient cemetery of great significance was found at Burumba that may be over 1000 years old. One skeleton was buried with a large bubu shell trumpet and another skeleton was buried with five skulls at its feet.
The skeletons will be studied in Vila to compare with those found earlier at Teouma and other places and to look at the health and diseases of these early Epi people. They will then be returned to Epi for reburial in their home villages.
The team had hoped to investigate a grave at Filikara thought by some to be that of Roy Muru, Roy Mata's brother, but a dispute made this impossible this year. Hopefully the dispute can be settled and another important chapter in Epi and Vanuatu's history can be studied next year.
Professor Spriggs said, "The chiefs and people on Epi are very aware of their history and very interested in all our findings. We got many requests from people to investigate finds of pottery and bones in their villages and gardens, and to record their nasaras and other sites. We particularly thank the chiefs and people of the Burumba, Mabfilau, Voam Bay and Lamen Island areas for hosting us and giving us permission to dig. We will study the finds over the next year and hope to return to Epi in 2007 with a full report of the results of these first archaeological digs to show the people. We will also bring the skeletons back at that time so they can be buried again". The team also acknowledge the support of the Vanuatu Cultural Centre and their Fieldworkers on Epi in making the study possible.
