From Land and Sea: Overcoming the Challenges of Directly Dating Dog Remains on Polynesian Islands

Abstract

Recent archaeological excavations on Rakahanga Atoll, Northern Cook Islands, produced one of the earliest examples of dog (Canis familiaris) remains found on East Polynesian atolls. Direct dating of these and other Pacific Island fauna by AMS is complicated by a number of factors. (1) The animals’ diets may consist of marine and terrestrial protein. (2) Marine 14C is itself a mix of carbon pools with localized offsets that vary over time and space. (3) The region is potentially impacted by inter-hemispheric mixing of atmospheric 14C. Stable isotope analysis of gelatin extracted from dog teeth was used to estimate marine/terrestrial dietary components and paired terrestrial and marine samples were used to constrain local atmospheric and marine carbon offsets. The dates were modeled as a phase in a Bayesian chronological framework using mixed calibration curves. The resulting models confirm the presence of dogs on Rakahanga shortly after the initial colonization of the region and suggest that dogs were among the species that accompanied voyagers as they discovered and settled new islands. These methods can be applied to accurately date any marine-influenced terrestrial vertebrate remains in Remote Oceania.

The Dogs of Remote Oceania: an archaeological and ethnohistorical view of domestic dog introduction and loss in the South Pacific

“…AD 1850 (Burney, 1803–1817, pp. 2:286, 2:470; Cramb & Hadden, 2020; Kelly & Parsonson, 1966, p. 1:174). If this is considered as an example of eventual extirpation of dogs, that leaves only one case of dog persistence in a low island group anywhere in Remote Oceania.…”

“…The data presented here also suggest that dog loss was a regular occurrence during the European-contact era. On Manihiki and Rakahanga (Northern Cook Islands), dog extirpation occurred between the arrival of Quiros in AD 1606 and missionization in AD 1849 (Cramb & Hadden, 2020). On Aitutaki, in the Southern Cook Islands, dogs are present in the historic period of the archaeological record, despite the lack of European observations (Allen, 1992).…”

“…In the Northern Cook Islands dogs were introduced before European contact, present at first European contact in AD 1606, and extirpated by the time of sustained European contact in ca. AD 1850 (Burney, 1803(Burney, -1817Cramb & Hadden, 2020;Kelly & Parsonson, 1966, p. 1:174). If this is considered as an example of eventual extirpation of dogs, that leaves only one case of dog persistence in a low island group anywhere in Remote Oceania.…”

“…They were small, did not bark, and were “characterized by a long muzzle, narrow head, [and] upstanding ears” (Titcomb, 1969:80). Archaeological data suggest that dog populations may have been small in most locations, typically represented by a handful of skeletal elements (e.g., Allen, 1992, p. 429; Athens, 1995, p. 140; Bollt, 2008, p. 176; Cramb & Hadden, 2020; Davidson, 1969; Green & Weisler, 2004, p. 37; Jones, Steadman, & O'Day, 2007, p. 91; Kirch, 2017, p. 86‐92; Nunn et al., 2007, p. 116; Rolett, 1998, pp. 37, 102; Shutler, Sinoto, & Takayama, 1984, p. 23; Sinoto, 1979, p. 113‐114).…”

Dating Marine Shell: A Guide for the Wary North American Archaeologist

“…Beyond coastal archaeology, the issues raised here about dating marine shell should prompt all archaeologists to think critically about chronology building, sample selection, and calibration. Other material types have similar or analogous issues: hardwater reservoir effects in freshwater systems (Philippsen 2013), mixed and variable carbon sources in terrestrial animal tissues (Cramb and Hadden 2020), and even offsets in terrestrial plants related to growing seasons (Manning et al 2020) introduce uncertainty in the 14 C record. As archaeologists demand ever greater precision from 14 C chronologies, understanding the nuances of 14 C dynamics becomes increasingly important.…”