“Because it is a Holy House of God”: Buildings Archaeology, Globalization, and Community Heritage in a Tanna Church

Abstract

Archaeological research on a prefabricated timber church on Tanna Island, Vanuatu (formerly the New Hebrides) has revealed details about site history, construction, use life, and current condition. This structure encapsulates two of the critical aspects of the New Hebrides missions, connecting these remote islands to wider global networks, while simultaneously being something that local communities made, and continue to make “their own.” In addition to being of interest to the indigenous community, buildings like the 1912 Tanna Church represent important examples of the tangible heritage created by the interplay of local and global forces in the modern world.