The Fijian archipelago is comprised of over 300 islands that span 850 kilometers of ocean. Combat amongst the Fijians was particularly prevalent and wars were a driving force behind the social and economic life of Fijian chiefdoms. War clubs were particularly privileged amongst the Fijians and each type of club, which could take years to make, was made for a specific purpose. Clubs were important as both weapons of war and sacred objects. In addition to being an effective weapon, 19th century drawings indicate that this type of throwing club (ula) may have been housed in village temples (bure kalou) and used to mark the place where the ancestors would come down to Earth.

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