Wrecked Wooden Bevaia (Lagatoi) Hulls of Epemeavo Village, Gulf Province, Papua New Guinea

On 20 August 2007, Epemeavo and Kea Kea villagers from the eastern end of the Gulf Province of Papua New Guinea reported fi nding two lagatoi hulls deeply buried in beach sands at Upihoi, near Epemeavo village, parts of a trading vessel associated with the renowned Motu hiri trade of former times. This paper presents results of an emergency investigation of these fi nds by staff of the Papua New Guinea National Museum and Art Gallery and Monash University, describing the fi nd, its environmental, cultural and social settings and contexts of discovery, radiocarbon dating, historical assessments, and signifi cance.