Abstract
This thesis presents an analysis of vertebrate and shell fauna remains from two sites in the Bismarck Archipelago, New Ireland. Many studies of subsistence in Near Oceania have focused on Lapita culture. However, only a handful of studies have given the Pleistocene and early Holocene period the same level of attention. This thesis addresses this imbalance by analysing assemblages from New Ireland that span from the Late Pleistocene to the Early Holocene period. The fauna from the sites Matenkupkum and Matenbek represent important subsistence activities that reflect key changes in population dynamics and social functions. Archaeozoological analysis of these two key sites and interpretation of past research provides an opportunity to address questions regarding the nature of subsistence during colonisation, as well as to address debates regarding the effects of environmental change, inter-island networks, and social dynamics during the Late Pleistocene and Early Holocene.