Archaeology and Kastom: Island Historicities and Transforming Religious Traditions in Southern Vanuatu

Abstract

Abstract Recent expansion of alternative frameworks for archaeological interpretation, particularly non-Western ones, provides an opportunity to revisit and challenge orthodox narratives in the discipline. The Melanesian concept ofkastomprovides a framework to understand contradictions arising from the selective nature of colonial-era culture change. One facet of these transitions is the widespread adoption and integration of Christian beliefs and practices within Indigenous communities. From the 1600 s onwards, European missionaries sought to “convert” Pacific Islanders to Christianity. Much of what is written about religious change in the past is coloured by a Western missionary lens, with active proselytisers transforming existing beliefs and practices amongst the converted. This story is not sufficient, as changes to religion include elements of syncretism and creative adaptation of new beliefs while maintaining the old ways. Inkastom, non-linear temporalities and histories experienced in place undermine orthodox accounts of change through time.Kastomprovides a stable reference point for malleable histories, while also offering possibilities to craft different kinds of archaeological narratives.

Cite this work

No public copy is stored for this record, so only the metadata is cited.

Stored only when both papers are in the corpus — 7 citations exist upstream.

Papers that cite the same references — the relational fallback while embeddings are still backfilling.