Revising shell adze analysis in Oceania: a multifaceted approach to the study of a Solomon Islands’ collection

Abstract

Shell adzes, although one of the more common artefacts in the Pacific, have not received nearly the same attention by archaeologists as have stone adzes in the region. Large collections of the latter have been studied in detail for over a century, and researchers have developed consistent methodological approaches, terminology and classification for their analysis. This has not been the case for shell adzes. This paper provides a critical review of this issue and puts forward a multifaceted approach, including a revised set of classificatory criteria, that is applied to the descriptive analysis of two museum collections of shell adzes and other cutting implements from Solomon Islands. The analysis demonstrates that incorporating technological, functional and ecological factors in the description and classification of shell adzes can generate a more insightful understanding of the various ways these cutting implements were made and used in the past.