How did the Lapita people support themselves in Wallis and Futuna?

The earliest inhabitants of Wallis and Futuna were people of the Lapita culture, who arrived on the islands by at least 800 BCE. Archaeological evidence confirms that these settlers supported themselves primarily through a combination of agriculture and fishing.1

While the Lapita people were highly skilled seaborne explorers who relied heavily on coastal fishing, they also engaged in domestic agriculture and animal husbandry. These practices were fundamental to their ability to colonize and sustain communities across the Pacific.23