Conférence: Wanda ZINGER
16 JUIN 25
IHP-EFEO Talk
Conférencier:
Dr. Wanda Zinger
Chercheur postdoctoral, Université de Tübingen, Allemagne
Sujet:
Oceania in Motion:
Investigating Human Dispersals Through Bioarchaeological Evidence
Date:
Lundi 16 juin à 15h00
Lieu:
Salle 703, Bâtiment de recherche, IHP, Academia Sinica
Résumé:
The peopling of Oceania is one of the most remarkable chapters in human history, involving long-distance maritime dispersals and complex networks of human interaction across a mosaic of lands and seas. This lecture explores the population history of Southern Melanesia through the lens of bioanthropology, with a focus on the contributions of skeletal remains from Vanuatu and New Caledonia. These case studies provide a unique opportunity to explore the biological signatures of human mobility, considering multiple dimensions of "movement," such as timing, scale, group composition, social status, and migratory motivations.
Bioanthropology, through both morphometric and genetic analyses, provides critical insights into population dynamics, biological diversity, and patterns of connectivity within and beyond the Melanesian archipelago. These methods allow us to capture not only broad demographic shifts but also more nuanced social phenomena, such as kinship ties and inter-island exchange systems, that have shaped human histories in Oceania.
Three chronological frameworks will be discussed to illustrate the variability of Oceanian human mobilities: the Lapita expansion (~3000 BP), the Polynesian backward migrations during the last millennium, and the demographic transformations triggered by early European contact. These diachronic perspectives highlight the added value of bioanthropological data in complementing archaeological interpretations and open new avenues for understanding Oceanian social dynamics. The significance of Neolithic Taiwanese skeletal data in reassessing the early phases of Oceanic dispersals will be considered. Special attention will be paid to the biological identity and migratory trajectories of the Lapita populations and how Taiwanese evidence contributes to refining models of settlements. Ultimately, the history of Southern Melanesia cannot be fully understood without reintegrating it into the broader context of Austronesian expansion across Island Southeast Asia and the Pacific.
La conférence sera organisé par l'Institut d'histoire et de philologie, Academia Sinica, et le Centre EFEO de Taipei.
La conférence sera donnée en anglais. Entrée libre.
Conférencier:
Dr. Wanda Zinger
Chercheur postdoctoral, Université de Tübingen, Allemagne
Sujet:
Oceania in Motion:
Investigating Human Dispersals Through Bioarchaeological Evidence
Date:
Lundi 16 juin à 15h00
Lieu:
Salle 703, Bâtiment de recherche, IHP, Academia Sinica
Résumé:
The peopling of Oceania is one of the most remarkable chapters in human history, involving long-distance maritime dispersals and complex networks of human interaction across a mosaic of lands and seas. This lecture explores the population history of Southern Melanesia through the lens of bioanthropology, with a focus on the contributions of skeletal remains from Vanuatu and New Caledonia. These case studies provide a unique opportunity to explore the biological signatures of human mobility, considering multiple dimensions of "movement," such as timing, scale, group composition, social status, and migratory motivations.
Bioanthropology, through both morphometric and genetic analyses, provides critical insights into population dynamics, biological diversity, and patterns of connectivity within and beyond the Melanesian archipelago. These methods allow us to capture not only broad demographic shifts but also more nuanced social phenomena, such as kinship ties and inter-island exchange systems, that have shaped human histories in Oceania.
Three chronological frameworks will be discussed to illustrate the variability of Oceanian human mobilities: the Lapita expansion (~3000 BP), the Polynesian backward migrations during the last millennium, and the demographic transformations triggered by early European contact. These diachronic perspectives highlight the added value of bioanthropological data in complementing archaeological interpretations and open new avenues for understanding Oceanian social dynamics. The significance of Neolithic Taiwanese skeletal data in reassessing the early phases of Oceanic dispersals will be considered. Special attention will be paid to the biological identity and migratory trajectories of the Lapita populations and how Taiwanese evidence contributes to refining models of settlements. Ultimately, the history of Southern Melanesia cannot be fully understood without reintegrating it into the broader context of Austronesian expansion across Island Southeast Asia and the Pacific.
La conférence sera organisé par l'Institut d'histoire et de philologie, Academia Sinica, et le Centre EFEO de Taipei.
La conférence sera donnée en anglais. Entrée libre.