Context (CMS Context)
Denis Gojak, PhD candidate in Archaeology at the University of Syndey, provided the following information about the casts and about Arthur Vogan (for more biographical information, see Biography entry): The engravings are located in a cave reached via an underwater passage on Sawa-i-lau Island, one of
the main islands of the Yasawa Group, on the northwestern margin of the Fiji group. The Yasawa site was revealed to Arthur Vogan by Captain Giblin. It is accessed from the shore-line by
swimming beneath the surface to enter a covered high-roofed cave. There are a series of linear
symbols carved onto the rock. Vogan first saw these in 1931 and returned in 1933 to document
them. He engaged natives to build a shaky timber scaffold so that he could reach the engravings
and place plaster-of-paris casting material on them. Vogan believed the Yasawa motifs were art related to early Chinese and Indian [later he changed this to Persian] expansion in the Pacific, comparing them to Shang period inscriptions.
The only 'academic' account of his work, which is more a rambling reminiscence is
Vogan, A.J. 1937
'Recent archaeological discoveries in the western Pacific', Journal of the Polynesian Society, 46, pp.
99-104.
Event Date 1/12/2016
Author: Lucie Carreau

Context (CMS Context)
Catalogue card reads [handwritten in blue pen:] 'Z 32025 A-G. FIJI. Set of 7 plaster casts of ?rock carvings. Presented to Louis Clarke. Mr Vogan'. A small round red sticker pasted to the front of the card.
Event Date 1/12/2016
Author: Lucie Carreau

Description (CMS Description)
G - Rectangular (irregular) plaster cast of a rock carving. Grooves in the shape of a chevrons and 'X's.
Event Date 1/12/2016
Author: Lucie Carreau

Description (CMS Description)
Set of seven plaster casts of rock engravings.
Event Date 1/12/2016
Author: Lucie Carreau