Headless Skeletons Reveal Ancient Ritual
A sherd of Lapita pottery from a burial site known as Teouma in the island nation of Vanuatu shows its characteristic small imprints.
The similarity of Lapita ceramics to the ancient pottery of Taiwan and the northern Philippines has been cited by researchers as a possible link that traces the culture back to Southeast Asia according to Stuart Bedford.
The earthenware pottery was often tempered with shell or sand and featured decorations similar to those still found on other traditional items in the Pacific, such as tapa (bark cloth), mats, and tattoos.
