the "fiji times" reported on 3 july 2005 that recent research by the fiji museum and the university of the south pacific (usp) has found that skeletons excavated at bourewa, near natadola in sigatoka, at least 3000 years old, belonged to the first settlers of fiji, with their origins in south china or taiwan. the skeletons are to be sent to japan for assembling and further research. obsidian, a rare volcanic glass found only in papua new guinea had been discovered there, according to dr patrick d. nunn, usp professor of ocean science and geography, who theorized that the people could originally have left southern china or taiwan some 7000 years ago, settling in papua new guinea before drifting on to fiji and other countries. lapita pottery found on the surface of the graves was almost 2500 years old, he said. fiji museum archaeologist sepeti matararaba said that the area beside the sea must have been occupied, because a great deal of pottery, hunting tools, and ancient shell jewellery had been discovered. more than 20 pits had been dug following the discovery of lapita in the area.