Distribution and extirpation of pigs in Pacific Islands: a case study from Palau

Abstract

Neolithic arrival in the Pacific involved, as in other parts of the world, the translocation of domesticated plants and animals by pottery-making cultures in prehistory. Globally uncommon, though, was the abandonment of pottery on some islands and the extirpation of the pig (Sus scrofa/verrucosus) and dog (Canis familiaris) -the two largest mammalian quadrupeds introduced to Oceania -from the subsistence and cultural systems. This paper examines the extirpation of pigs from the Palau Islands as a case study to understand why an important domesticate has such an uneven prehistoric distribution. When suids are fed agricultural produce required to sustain the human population, it has been proposed that competition and extirpation will result, especially on small islands with limited arable land. However, pigs are considered problem animals in many environments because of the damage they cause to horticultural production, particularly the effects of free-range pigs on gardens and plantations. It is suggested that extirpation and low-level animal keeping are a response to the threat that pigs pose to plant food yields and social relations.

Zooarchaeology in Oceania: An overview

“…They suggest that free‐ranging pigs were extirpated when their activities negatively “impacted land management practices and horticultural activity” Clark et al . : 147).…”

“…In some cases, such as New Zealand, pig herds were never established in pre‐colonial times; in others, pigs were successfully established and maintained until European contact; in yet other cases, pigs were initially introduced and subsequently extirpated prior to the colonial era (see Clark et al . : table 3). Clark et al .…”

“…Clark et al . (: 146) use a series of AMS radiocarbon dates on archaeological pig bones from Palau, Micronesia, to show that pigs were extirpated from Rock Island villages by 1300 CE, 150 years before their eventual abandonment. They suggest that free‐ranging pigs were extirpated when their activities negatively “impacted land management practices and horticultural activity” Clark et al .…”

Redating of the To’aga site (Ofu Island, Manu’a) and a revised chronology for the Lapita to Polynesian Plainware transition in Tonga and Samoa

“…A range of theories have been put forward for these dates including the small size of these bones and potential laboratory contamination at the time of dating [32] [33]. Twenty years later, there have been improvements in our understanding of dietary offsets and application of (dietary and reservoir) corrections to a range of animals that feed in both marine and terrestrial environments [34][9] [35][36] [37], as well as significant improvements in sample pretreatment and the abilities of AMS dating technology to date these tiny samples [38]. The importance of rats as human commensals, as evidenced by their presence in many archaeological deposits including To'aga ( [19] pg 200, table 13.3), means there is significant benefit from being able to date these animals directly [39].…”

Lapita diet and subsistence strategies on Watom Island, Papua New Guinea: New stable isotope evidence from humans and animals

“…Free-range pig husbandry systems are practiced widely in New Guinea, especially in areas with adequate foraging areas and small human populations (Hide, 2003). Free-range methods of pig husbandry have also been suggested for initial settlers in Palau (Clark et al, 2013) and are thought to have been used during the early Lapita period in Vanuatu (Kinaston et al, 2014b). Today on Watom a large percentage of the pig population is allowed to roam freely and gardens are maintained on the upper hills to reduce the risk of disturbance by pigs.…”