Lapita
This term refers specifically to a prehistoric cultural complex rather than a modern ethnic group. In academic and archaeological discourse, it is used as a proper noun to categorize a specific horizon of human migration and material culture in the Western Pacific.
Because it describes a distinct archaeological culture, the term is typically used as an attributive noun (e.g., Lapita pottery, Lapita sites) to identify artifacts or locations associated with these people. It is not used as a general descriptor for people in a contemporary social context.
Meanings
A prehistoric people of the Pacific who are known for their distinctive dentate-stamped pottery and for being the ancestors of many Polynesian cultures.
Archaeologists have found Lapita pottery shards across various islands in the South Pacific.