Excavations on Santa Cruz Island have led to the discovery of unique wooden artifacts inlaid with volcanic obsidian, identified as ceremonial dance shields belonging to the Lapita culture. Dating to approximately 1,000 BCE, these shields were found in a specialized ritual precinct, suggesting they were used in rhythmic communal dances during arrival ceremonies or navigational festivals.
The use of obsidian from distant sources in the Bismarck Archipelago highlights the prestige of these items. Scholars argue that these shields are the earliest evidence of the complex masquerade and performance traditions that still define many Melanesian cultural heritage festivals today, bridging a gap of three millennia in ceremonial continuity.