World War II in the Solomon Islands Conflict and Aftermath

The Solomon Islands are notable as the region where Japanese and American forces first fully engaged in combat following the surprise raid on Pearl Harbor on 7th December 1941. Intense battles took place on land, sea, and in the air, with both sides formulating or trialling tactics and materiel for the first time. These conflicts left an immense body of sites, artefacts, and human remains across the islands, with lasting impacts on local cultural practices. There are also extensive bodies of primary literature which has survived from these conflicts, which represent an equally substantial resource of memoirs from all levels of combatant as well as post-war analyses and histories. Despite this wealth of documentary evidence, archaeological studies of the extensive physical remnants of World War II have been surprisingly limited, as have those of modern Solomon Islander engagements with these material legacies. This chapter provides an overview of archaeological investigations, current roles, and issues with the conservation and management of World War II heritage in modern Solomon Islander economy and society.