The Nowon and Votwos of Ureparapara

The Nowon and Votwos of Ureparapara are ceremonial monuments demonstrating traditional architecture and societal structure in communities on the third largest island in Vanuatu. Nowon are decorated façades made of interlocking stone brickwork found on the raised stone foundations to men’s houses, while votwos are earthen platforms, lined on one side by stone brickwork, symbolic of power, from which a man of rank or influence could address his community as a leader. The proposed site on Ureparapara also includes terraced fields and rock art engravings, in addition to nowon and votwos structures.