1,200-year-old island found in Fiji is made of edible shellfish remains, study says

Researchers identified Culasawani, a roughly 3,000 m² island off Vanua Levu, Fiji, in 2017 after crab activity revealed its makeup.

Hand auger samples show 70–90% of the island’s surface sediment is shells, and researchers recovered pottery fragments.

The site is about 1,200 years old, sits 20–60 cm above high tide, shows no evidence of permanent habitation, and further study will test whether it is a human midden or natural deposit.