Destruction of the 1912 Lenakel Church (Tanna, Vanuatu) in Cyclone Pam, and Thoughts for the Future of the Site

  • James L. Flexner
  • Martin J. Jones
  • Philip D. Evans
Article
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Abstract

We report on the destruction of the 1912 Tanna Church by tropical Cyclone Pam, which struck Vanuatu on the 13th March 2015. This building was a very significant prefabricated timber structure that had been archaeologically recorded in great detail. Detailed documentation mitigates to some extent the loss of the physical structure, especially when considered alongside the community’s interests in the intangible values of the site. Returning to the site after the building’s destruction allowed us to record some new details, and to discuss future heritage plans with representatives from local communities.

Keywords

Heritage Natural disaster Vanuatu 
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Notes

Acknowledgments

We would like to express our sincere thanks to the people of West Tanna, who have been partners in this project throughout. Specifically, Peter Marshall, Iavis Nikiatu, Elisabeth, Tommy Kueriatuen, and other members of the Louweniu people are acknowledged for their help and support. The Tanna office of the Vanuatu Cultural Centre has also been integral to our ongoing work in Lenakel, specifically Jacob Kapere, Jimmy Kuautonga, Joel Iau, and Jean Pascal. We thank Chuck Orser for agreeing to include this brief report in IJHA.

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Copyright information

© Springer Science+Business Media New York 2015

Authors and Affiliations

  • James L. Flexner
    • 1
  • Martin J. Jones
    • 2
  • Philip D. Evans
    • 3
    • 4
  1. 1.School of Archaeology and AnthropologyAustralian National UniversityCanberraAustralia
  2. 2.Heritage New Zealand Pouhere TaongaAucklandNew Zealand
  3. 3.Department of Wood ScienceUniversity of British ColumbiaVancouverCanada
  4. 4.Department of Applied MathematicsAustralian National UniversityCanberraAustralia

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