Lapita Pottery

The Hearst Museum Lapita Pottery as Part of the Uncovering Pacific Pasts Exhibits across the World: The Secret History of Pacific Archaeology
March 2 | 4-5 p.m. | 101 2251 College (Archaeological Research Facility)
Speaker: Matthew Spriggs, Professor of Archaeology, School of Archaeology and Anthropology, Australian National University
Sponsors: Archaeological Research Facility, Phoebe A. Hearst Museum of Anthropology
The one-case exhibit at the Hearst Museum of a small pottery collection sent to Berkeley archaeologist Edward Gifford in October 1948 might not on the surface seem that interesting. But it is part of a wider hidden story of 'covert control' of Gifford's entire 1947 archaeological expedition to Fiji by members of the Fijian (Native) Administration, of which Gifford was presumably blissfully unaware. It is but one of the surprising stories that have come to light in a 5-year project on the history of Pacific archaeology. The project is coming to an end with an international conference, a workshop for Pacific Island Museum and Archive personnel, and mini-exhibitions at over 30 museums across the world. The wider context to the Hearst exhibit will be touched upon.
About the speaker:
Matthew Spriggs is an Australian Research Council Laureate Fellow, working on the project ‘The Collective Biography of Archaeology in the Pacific (CBAP)’. He is also Professor of Archaeology in the School of Archaeology and Anthropology at the Australian National University. He has undertaken extensive archaeological research in the Pacific Islands and Island Southeast Asia for over 40 years, particularly in Vanuatu. His Laureate project is concerned with the history of Pacific archaeology.
Event Contact: arf-programs@berkeley.edu
http://arf.berkeley.edu