Both sides of the frontier: The ‘contact’ archaeology of villages on Mabuyag, western Torres Strait

During the late nineteenth century Mabuyag (Mabuiag) became a major centre for pearlshelling (at Dhabangay on the north east coast) and a base for London Missionary Society (LMS) teachers (Dhabangay then Baw). During this period Islanders rubbed shoulders with Europeans, Japanese and Pacific Islanders (recruited either for pearling or LMS teaching). While a significant archive of historical records has been collected for the ensuing period of negotiations and restructured settlement in Torres Strait, archaeological studies rarely interrogate these events. This paper draws together results from four excavations at traditional villages on Mabuyag and a village established by the LMS at Baw to provide an integrated account of post-contact settlement in Torres Strait. Results suggest complex inter-relations between Islanders and new arrivals, with Islanders maintaining a level of independence, evident through continued settlement of ancestral villages, adherence to traditional subsistence practices and limited use of European-manufactured materials. This paper also isolates the problematic early phase of Islander–European negotiation through analysis of Venetian trade beads.