Otubelu in Bua – an old village dating back about 3000 years ago, will soon be declared an official lapita site by the Australian University.

The decision was made after the discovery of lapita pottery pieces during research by Sunshine Coast University last month.

A field research officer at the Fiji Museum Archaeology Department, Sepeti Matararaba says Otubelu site will be the sixteenth Lapita site in Fiji and only the third in Vanua Levu.

‘’The name other site is called Otubelu Lapita site,we conducted surface collection on one of the coastal flats and we manage to find this lapita pots. Lapita pots at the moment in Vanua Levu, the data we have 2 site in Macuata and Cakaudrove. They are in the three thousand period and we are hoping that this find that we have on the Bua Coast will be above three thousand years also’’.

The pottery discovered at the Otubelu site are believed to be two thousand to three thousand years old.

Archaeologists believe that the Lapita is the ancestor of historic cultures in Polynesia, Micronesia, and some coastal areas of Melanesia.