Guide: David Roe 

The Poha Cave - Vatuluma Posovi - lies at the mouth of the Poha River and is one of several caves in the region with archaeologically interesting deposit.  It is also one of several caves in the foothills with engraved 'rock art'; indeed this site has what is probably the largest single collection of art motifs in the Solomons.  Initial excavations by Dr William Davenport of the University of Pennsylvania Museum and subsequent  work by Messrs Tedder and Russell (two colonial Government officers) in 1966-68 reportedly removed the entire 4 metres of deposit from the cave.  A series of C14 dates from the rear of the cave indicated initial occupation at about 2900 yrs bp but the site was completely lacking in pottery, obsidian or any other material of obvious Lapita association.  A re-survey of the cave in 1986-87 by David Roe revealed a small area of intact deposit at the cave's entrance and excavations there produced C14 dates in excess of 6000 yrs bp.  A second cave - Vatuluma Tavuro - in the hills on the other side of the river yielded dates in excess of 4000 yrs bp.  The Poha cave sites, together with some open sites further west, provide evidence of an aceramic settlement sequence for northwest Guadalcanal, with the main changes in occupation being indicated by different forest exploitation strategies, agricultural intensification and the development of both intra- and inter-island trade and exchange networks