Geoconservation of Volivoli Cave, Fiji: A Prehistoric Heritage Site of National Significance

摘要

This paper describes the development of the holistic sustainable management plan that is being implemented at Volivoli Cave, Viti Levu, Fiji. The cave has been mapped to assess the levels of degradation of archaeological deposits since a previous mapping exercise 13 years earlier. The new survey indicates that 5.7 m2 of sediments to around 40 cm depth have been removed by stream erosion during this time. A preliminary survey of the invertebrate fauna has been performed to provide baseline data for future monitoring and give some general indication of “cave health”. A conservation plan to protect the cave has involved installation of a drainage system to divert water away from important archaeological deposits, implementation of a walkway so as to allow safe access into the cave and the production of a notice board displaying accurate scientific information. The project was carried out in close cooperation with the local landowners who carried out much of the maintenance work using local natural materials and are now able to manage, sustain and conserve their own natural heritage. This type of study and plan is the first in the tropical South Pacific region and has rarely been carried out before in the Pacific. It is envisaged that the methodology and approach employed in this article may be developed and applied to other similar cave systems in Fiji and the South Pacific region.