World Heritage Identification Number: 1280
World Heritage since: 2008
Category: Cultural Heritage
Transboundary Heritage: No
Endangered Heritage: No
Country: 🇻🇺 Vanuatu
Continent: Oceania
UNESCO World Region: Asia and the Pacific
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Chief Roi Mata's Domain: A Testament to Peace and Social Reform in Vanuatu
The Chief Roi Mata's Domain, inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2008, offers a unique glimpse into the rich cultural history of Vanuatu. This significant site encompasses three early 17th-century AD locations spread across the islands of Efate, Lelepa, and Artok. These sites are intrinsically linked to the life, death, and legacy of the last paramount chief, or Roi Mata, of central Vanuatu.
More to come…UNESCO Description of the World Heritage Site
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.
Encyclopedia Record: Roi Mata
Roi Mata was a chiefly title in the central islands of Vanuatu. It was borne by a long dynasty of chiefs, from the 11th to the 17th century.Additional Site Details
Area: 886.31 hectares
(v) — Outstanding example of traditional human settlement
(vi) — Directly associated with events or living traditions
Coordinates: -17.6280694444 , 168.1777194444
