Archaeology’s Contribution to Island Studies

Abstract

Archaeology has, and will continue to make, some important contributions to the broad field of ‘island studies’. In this essay, I discuss four major topics in island archaeology that are helping to shape the way we think about islands. These include: (1) seafaring and the human maritime diaspora; (2) the effects of aquatic boundaries and isolation; (3) historical ecology and the impacts of humans on island ecosystems; and (4) climate change, sea level rise, and coastal degradation. As archaeologists continue to explore these and other issues with colleagues from both the social and natural sciences, we will come to better understand how islands have shaped humans, and humans have shaped islands.

Keywords

• archaeology
• islands
• seafaring
• isolation
• historical ecology
• coastal degradation