S. E. PALE Candidate of Historical Sciences, Institute of Oriental Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences Keywords: Oceania, worldview, traditions, lifestyle, values Only in the 16th century did the islands of Oceania appear on geographical maps, whose inhabitants lingered in the unwritten barter-cannibal Stone Age. Representatives of Western civilization saw many wonders there that struck their imagination. During the years of development of the Pacific islands, prehistoric exoticism gave food for creativity to many Western poets, writers, thinkers and artists, among whom were J. - J. Rousseau, D. Diderot, P. Gauguin, M. Twain, J. London, S. Maugham, R. L. Stevenson. Oceania was included in the global civilization. But how did the worldview of its inhabitants change after the collision with Europeans? Consideration of this issue is a field for research that promises a lot of original findings. OCEANIC LIFESTYLE BEFORE MEETING THE EUROPEANS The thirst for wealth that pushed Western colonizers to develop the Pacific islands was calculated in monetary terms. But before meeting the Europeans, the inhabitants of Oceania, who were safely in a Neolithic state of body and mind, did not have money: instead, barter trade and a system of gift exchange flourished. The islands of Oceania did not have a complex social hierarchy. The islanders did not need to form large alliances: there was a natural defense against possible alien attacks - the ocean. Especially since most of the islanders were waiting for gods, not enemies, from across the ocean. Oceanians usually lived in family communities of 200 to 400 people, who from time to time, having caught a neighboring community in witchcraft, corruption or the evil eye, made combat sorties in order to teach their enemies a lesson, taking from them what was considered fair compensation. The absence in Oceania of not only metal, but also the skills of making complex tools, and sometimes even elementary household items, made the isl ... Read more