The Pacific Islands offer a variety of marine environments providing peoples in the present and past with abundant coral materials, a “stone from the sea”. Archaeologists have long recognised the importance of coral in ancient contexts, whether as gravel, natural branches, squared blocks or cut-and-dress slabs. Coral was also used to manufacture tools such as files or pounders and incorporated in monumental ceremonial architecture as a favoured construction material and foundation offerings. However, Pacific Islanders also employed coral material for other ritual applications that remain overlooked in the literature. In this article, we consider the multiple uses of coral in the archaeological and ethnographic records of three Pacific regions: Central-East Polynesia (CEP), New Caledonia and the Torres Strait Islands. This includes offering of coral branches, sometimes associated with cairns, paraphernalia and magic stones, also production of coral lime for body ornamentation. Using these case studies, we consider material selection, modes of deposition, archaeological and ethnographic contexts, associations with other features and artefacts, before interrogating the potential significance of these unrealised datasets. By doing so, we shed new light on the ritual value of coral and reflect on the symbolic nature and function of this material.

中文翻译：

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来自大海的圣石。太平洋珊瑚仪式价值的考古学和人种学观点

太平洋岛屿提供了多种多样的海洋环境，为现在和过去的人们提供了丰富的珊瑚材料，一种“海中之石”。考古学家早就认识到珊瑚在古代环境中的重要性，无论是作为砾石、天然树枝、方块还是切割和修整板。珊瑚还被用来制造工具，例如锉刀或打磨器，并作为受欢迎的建筑材料和地基供品融入纪念性仪式建筑中。然而，太平洋岛民也将珊瑚材料用于其他文献中仍被忽视的仪式应用。在这篇文章中，我们考虑了珊瑚在三个太平洋地区的考古和人种学记录中的多种用途：中东波利尼西亚 (CEP)、新喀里多尼亚和托雷斯海峡群岛。这包括提供珊瑚枝，有时与石标、用具和魔法石相关，还包括生产用于身体装饰的珊瑚石灰。使用这些案例研究，我们在审视这些未实现的数据集的潜在意义之前，考虑了材料选择、沉积方式、考古和民族志背景、与其他特征和人工制品的关联。通过这样做，我们对珊瑚的仪式价值有了新的认识，并反思了这种材料的象征性和功能。在询问这些未实现的数据集的潜在意义之前。通过这样做，我们对珊瑚的仪式价值有了新的认识，并反思了这种材料的象征性和功能。在询问这些未实现的数据集的潜在意义之前。通过这样做，我们对珊瑚的仪式价值有了新的认识，并反思了这种材料的象征性和功能。