Chief Roi Mata’s Domain

Chief Roi Mata’s Domain is the first site to be inscribed in Vanuatu. It consists of three early 17th century AD sites on the islands of Efate, Lelepa and Artok associated with the life and death of the last paramount chief, or Roi Mata, of what is now Central Vanuatu. The property includes Roi Mata’s residence, the site of his death and Roi Mata’s mass burial site. It is closely associated with the oral traditions surrounding the chief and the moral values he espoused. The site reflects the convergence between oral tradition and archaeology and bears witness to the persistence of Roi Mata’s social reforms and conflict resolution, still relevant to the people of the region.

Title Chief Roi Mata’s Domain
Artist(s) Unrecorded artist
Dates early 17th century
Places Oceania / Melanesia / Vanuatu
Period, Culture, Style Melanesian
Artwork Type Architecture / Tomb
Material
Technique

Cite this page as: UNESCO, "Chief Roi Mata’s Domain," in Smarthistory, May 27, 2021, accessed February 19, 2025, https://smarthistory.org/chief-roi-mata-domain/.