Over the last few decades, thanks to several contributors to this volume, island archaeology has officially emerged as an influential subfield (e.g. Rick et al. Reference Rick, Kirch, Erlandson and Fitzpatrick2013; Fitzpatrick et al. Reference Fitzpatrick, Rick and Erlandson2015; Braje et al. Reference Braje, Leppard, Fitzpatrick and Erlandson2017). Questions associated with the initial peopling of islands “set a baseline from which we construct explanations of the past” (p. 1). Thus, The archaeology of island colonization, with its global perspective and multidisciplinary approach, is timely and important. The book seeks to answer when, from where, and why people settled on islands. The editors are to be commended for bringing together scholars who have provided answers to these questions. The 13 chapters are split into three sections: Part One considers theoretical concerns; Part Two provides an overview of useful methodological approaches; and Part Three presents four case-studies.
The introduction is a well-structured summary of key research themes and questions associated with contemporary research in island, coastal and maritime archaeology. It serves as a strong foundation for the rest of the book and should quickly become required reading for students of island archaeology. In Chapter 2, Cochrane defines effectively the different types of movement behaviour in the context of human evolution and ecology, using the south-west Pacific Islands (Lapita) as a case study. The key benefit of Cochrane's work is its potential for broad application within an empirical framework to test dispersal events at a global scale.
Chapter 3 (Lipo et al.) is essential reading for scholars seeking to engage in discussion about how archaeologists develop, define and ultimately use archaeological terms and concepts. This contribution offers a scholarly discussion of systematics that addresses specifically how units of meaning are constructed—a subject of current debate within island archaeology.
Continuing the theme of terminology, Runnels (Chapter 4) notes that “the use of broad terminology such as ‘colonization’ or ‘occupation’ has perhaps resulted in scholars talking at cross purposes because they invoke meanings, or at least connotations, that may be inappropriate for explaining hominin behavior” (p. 92). Lipo et al. argue that there should be a “renewed emphasis on unit construction and an expansion of archaeological systematics” (p. 63). But this begs the question: who should construct such units or proclaim them meaningful? Archaeology's historical power imbalance is well known, and hopefully future discussions of terminology—especially ‘colonization’—will be multivocal.
Gusick et al. (Chapter 5) offer a refreshing geoarchaeological perspective for underwater archaeology associated with islands and coasts. The authors demonstrate how palaeoenvironmental reconstruction via GIS can be used to pinpoint sediments and soils of a specific age, and that this approach is arguably the way forward for researchers seeking submerged (but also terrestrial) archaeological sites, especially those dating to the Pleistocene.
Schmid et al. (Chapter 6) and Rieth & Hamilton (Chapter 7) provide excellent examples of how to incorporate Bayesian calibration models into island archaeology research designs. Schmid and colleagues’ impressive chapter summarises geochronological data to model the initial peopling of Iceland during the Viking Age. Rieth and Hamilton outline a similar application of Bayesian modelling to visualise the settlement of Fiji and Hawai'i, based on Lapita cultural deposits at archaeological sites. Both chapters emphasise the importance of ‘radiocarbon hygiene’, sample size and multi-phase modelling to create robust chronologies.
In Chapter 8, Stone and Nieves-Colón summarise the increasing role of molecular techniques (namely, aDNA) in island archaeology. They provide useful discussions on the importance of next-generation sequencing, advances in protocols for obtaining aDNA remains and associated computational methods used in retrieving aDNA data.
Fitzpatrick and colleagues (Chapter 9) weave together multiple lines of evidence to explore and explain the initial peopling of the Caribbean, making a strong case for the importance of multidisciplinary research in island archaeology. Similarly, Leppard et al. (Chapter 10) offer an excellent regional and diachronic perspective on the peopling of the Eastern Mediterranean islands. Their dismissal of the importance of the Lower and Middle Palaeolithic periods during the peopling of the Aegean Basin, however, is unfortunate and perhaps rather unfair. The work on Stelida, for example, is not limited to a single stratigraphic unit as they imply, but also includes LU6, dated to between 100 and 86 kya, and containing 548 lithics (Carter et al. Reference Carter2019). Similarly, some quartz tools from Plakias were found preserved within palaeosols, not on the surface, as suggested (see Strasser et al. Reference Strasser2011: fig. 5). Despite these quibbles, Leppard et al. are correct that more archaeological data are required to determine when, and from whence, the first peoples successfully entered the Mediterranean.
Unique in reporting new archaeological data in the volume is Chapter 11 (Ono et al.). This details excavations at several sites in Sahul (Pleistocene Australia and New Guinea). Again, the treatment of the Palaeolithic is lacking. As Erlandson notes in the Conclusion, however, Ono et al. offer “good old-fashioned dirt archaeology on islands” (p. 353), and such research is sorely needed in many of the regions discussed in this volume. In Chapter 12, Callahan uses computer simulations to examine the “strategic position of the Maldives Islands for trade and colonization in the Indian Ocean” (p. 327), offering a useful approach for predicting the locations of archaeological sites associated with dispersal events.
As noted in the final chapter, there is much for those working in island archaeology to be optimistic about. Although several topics could have been expanded upon, including geoarchaeology, Indigenous perspectives and the role of (palaeo)climate research, the editors have done an outstanding job in bringing together diverse and impactful papers. This book highlights the strength of the emerging field of island archaeology, while also demonstrating how much more work remains. If this volume represents a taste of what is to come, the future of island archaeology is, indeed, bright.
