Roi Mata (or Roy Mata, Roymata) was a powerful Melanesian chief in what is now Vanuatu. He is believed to have lived at the end of the

16th century The 16th century begins with the Julian year 1501 ( MDI) and ends with either the Julian or the Gregorian year 1600 ( MDC) (depending on the reckoning used; the Gregorian calendar introduced a lapse of 10 days in October 1582). The 16th cent ...

, or the beginning of the

17th 17 (seventeen) is the natural number following 16 and preceding 18. It is a prime number. Seventeen is the sum of the first four prime numbers. In mathematics 17 is the seventh prime number, which makes seventeen the fourth super-prime, as s ...

. ''Chief Roi Mata's domain'' (UNESCO report). In 2008, three sites associated with Roi Mata, on the islands of Efate, Lelepa and Eretoka, were made UNESCO World Heritage Sites."Chief Roi Mata’s Domain"
UNESCO.

Roi Mata's grave

Roi Mata's elaborate grave, containing the bodies of over 25 members of his retinue, was discovered by French

archaeologist Archaeology or archeology is the scientific study of human activity through the recovery and analysis of material culture. The archaeological record consists of artifacts, architecture, biofacts or ecofacts, sites, and cultural landscap ...

in 1967 and inscribed on the World Heritage List in 2008. Garanger was able to locate the grave on Eretoka island by analyzing local folklore. According to legend, when Roi Mata conquered the land, his first goal was to unite the tribes to form an army. His reign is reputed to have been a peaceful one. Roi Mata was fatally poisoned by his brother. His body was not buried in his homeland and his name was not used in future generations because the locals feared his spirit. Map of Chief Roi Mata's Domain EN

Gallery

Chief_Roimata's_grave_(08_Jan_2017).jpg, Chief Roi mata's grave (Eratoka Island, 8 January 2017) Roimata's_wives_graves.jpg, Grave markers of Chief Roi mata's wives (Eratoka Island, 8 January 2017)

Notes and references

Notes

References

* {{cite book , language=en, author1=Chris Ballard, author2=Meredith Wilson, title=Chief Roi Mata's Domain, type=Nomination by the Republic of Vanuatu for Inscription on the World Heritage List, date=2008, url=http://whc.unesco.org/uploads/nominations/1280.pdf , ref=unescopdf

External links

Vanuatu A to Z
Retrieved August 25, 2006.
"Roy Mata"
Encyclopædia Britannica History of Vanuatu Vanuatuan chiefs Deaths by poisoning People murdered in Vanuatu Vanuatuan murder victims World Heritage Sites in Vanuatu Year of birth unknown Year of death unknown 13th-century monarchs