Warfare and exchange in a Melanesian society before colonial pacification: the case of Manus, Papua New Guinea

Abstract

This paper investigates how pre-colonial warfare was a factor in the integration of Manus societies. On the one hand warfare united the small social units that could be threatened by others, but on the other hand it made these units dependent on others as allies. Allies were, or became, exchange partners. Even enemies could turn into exchange partners through the integration of captives into the societies. Finally, warfare was used to defend local specialisations of production and the exclusive access to valued resources, thus enforcing the regional dependency on exchange.