A Primitive Civilisation: Solomons Back in Time

These are some old photos that I have come across while surfing the net. It really brings one back in time to those times when our ancestors have their own civilisations and their own style of governing, and their own scientific knowledge, which have still being called primitive in the modern times. Personally I do feel that our ancestors have the right to claim that our traditional sciences,knowledge and governance at that time earned the credit to a part of civilisation even the modern elites and knowledge have still to come to terms with...so here are some of the glimpses of our past as we travel through time back to the Solomon Islands:



Warrior with wicker shield and parrying club, Solomon Islands.
Original albumen photograph, c 1880's (mounted on album page with photograph of the Suez Canal by Zangaki verso) Photographer: Dufty, Levuka (blind stamped lower right) The man holds a wicker shield, lava lava (New Georgia, Florida, Santa Isabel or Guadalcanal); with his right hand he holds a club or parrying shield, qauata (San Cristobal or Santa Ana).


Young warrior with parrying club, Solomon Islands
Original albumen photograph, c 1880's (on original folio size board mount)
Photographer: Thomas Andrew
The young man holds a club or parrying shield, qauata (San Cristobal or Santa Ana); note also the feathered arm ornaments, beaded body decoration and comb standing upright at the crown of the head.


Fort at Qarep, northwest Malaita, Solomon Islands.
Original albumen photograph, c 1900 (unmounted)
Photographer: J.W. Beattie, Hobart (titled in the negative and numbered 535)
The native man in the centre wears a Malaita pearl shell ornament, dafi


Women of Ferasibor, Malaita, Solomon islands.
Original albumen photograph, c 1900 (unmounted)
Photographer: J.W. Beattie, Hobart (titled in the negative and numbered 529)
Three generations of women.


Vella Lavella girl with painted face and shell ear ornaments, Solomon islands.
Original albumen photograph, c 1900 (unmounted)
Photographer: J.W. Beattie, Hobart (titled in pencil, verso)


Solomon Islands native, Marobo
Real photo postcard, c 1920 (postally unused)
Printed by Kodak, Australia
Photographer unknown


Vanikolo (Vanikoro) natives in canoe, Santa Cruz group, Solomon Islands.
Original photograph, c 1900-1910
Photographer unknown
Inscribed in pencil verso: Last cruise of Flora. Several canoes stuck to us till we were out of sight of land. Vanikolo natives Santa Cruz.
Loss due to careless removal from album.