Historical Ecology and 600 Years of Fish Use on Atafu Atoll, Tokelau

2017

Archaeology in Oceania

Small, remote islands, such as low coral atolls, with nutrient‐poor, biogenic soils for food crops and vulnerability to extreme weather, have long been considered marginal environments for human habitation. Yet, four decades of archaeological research in the atoll archipelago of the Marshall Islands, eastern Micronesia have demonstrated sustained human occupation there for over two millennia. Here, we present a fine‐grained analysis of mollusc remains from four recently excavated archaeological sites (4476 total MNI / 14843 total NISP) combined with mapping and analysis of extant benthic habitats, on Ebon Atoll, Marshall Islands. We examine spatial and temporal variability in mollusc foraging practices from prehistoric village sites and ephemeral camp sites across the windward–leeward exposure gradient. Our analysis demonstrates that foragers targeted a rich assemblage of taxa from different habitats, reflecting a foraging strategy that was adapted to local environmental conditions. Human foraging over 2000 years documented no observable human impacts to molluscs or nearshore intertidal marine ecosystems, challenging previous notions of atolls as marginal, exceptionally difficult settings for human habitation.

Section: Temporal and Spatial Trends In Mollusc Foragingsupporting

confidence: 68%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Two millennia of mollusc foraging on Ebon Atoll, Marshall Islands: Sustained marine resource use on a Pacific atoll

Harris

2017

Archaeology in Oceania

“…For the central Pacific Ocean, Ono and Addison (2013) report increased abundances of pelagic taxa, such as scombrids, at ~600 cal BP on Atafu Atoll, Tokelau. Across the eight excavated 1m 2 units, scombrids were ranked third after scarids and acanthurids, accounting for 12.1% of total MNI.…”

Section: Archaeology Of Pacific Tuna Fishingmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Lastly, at Si'utu, Savai'i Island, Samoa, a late prehistoric site, occupied post ~650 cal BP, Ishimura and Inoue (2006) reported scombrid remains (number of identified specimens [NISP]=19) although the abundance and distribution of skipjack, while identified to taxon, was unclear. The data available for the central Pacific Ocean is not as comprehensive, but scombrids and in some cases K. pelamiswhere specific identifications have been reported-are more prevalent in assemblages that post-date ~850-650 BP while, at a similar time, this taxon is decreasing at western Pacific sites (Ishimura and Inoue 2006;Masse et al 2006;Ono and Addison 2013;Ono and Intoh 2011;Weisler et al 2016).…”

Section: Archaeology Of Pacific Tuna Fishingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Late Holocene Marshall Islands Archaeological Tuna Records Provide Proxy Evidence for ENSO Variability in the Western and Central Pacific Ocean

Lambrides

The Journal of Island and Coastal Archaeology

2017

Tuna will have increased importance to Pacific Island nations in coming decades for food security and economic needs; consequently, sustainable fisheries management policies are imperative. The frequency and temporal distribution of tuna bones from tropical Pacific archaeological sites is essential for documenting millennial scale records that detail the responses of tuna stocks to anthropogenic fishing pressure and climatic variability. We highlight the potential impacts of El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) variability on the western and central Pacific Ocean skipjack (Katsuwonus pelamis) fishery over the last 2000 years. Ebon Atoll (4°38′24.67″N, 168°42′23.56″E), Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI) archaeological data and regional western and central Pacific Islands archaeological tuna fishery data are evaluated. These datasets are compared to palaeoclimate records, which track hydroclimate variability during the last 2000 years, and recent historic capture records, which document associations between ENSO and skipjack abundance and range throughout the tropical Pacific Ocean.Results suggest that regional and temporal trends in archaeological scombrid/skipjack abundance provide proxy evidence for western and central Pacific Ocean ENSO variability, while prehistoric human impacts to the tuna fishery appear to be negligible. Future research should include species-level identification of all archaeological tuna bones and establish fine-grained local climate data across the region that is tied to well-dated archaeological sequences, thus enhancing our understanding of how regional climate influences the geographic distribution and relative abundance of tuna species over millennia.

“…Instead of drawing conclusions between the archaeology and modern ethnographic data, he emphasised the historical trends that shaped Ma'uke culture. Within Pacific archaeology and more specifically Pacific fishing studies in the last decade, historical ecology has provided a framework to engage the archaeology and to consider the interrelationships with local climate, ethnography, modern marine surveys, and historical records (e.g., Fitzpatrick and Donaldson 2007;Jones and Quinn 2009;Ono and Addison 2013).…”

Section: Historical Ecologymentioning

confidence: 99%

Pacific Islands Ichthyoarchaeology: Implications for the Development of Prehistoric Fishing Studies and Global Sustainability

Lambrides

2016

J Archaeol Res

The Pacific Islands-consisting of culturally diverse Melanesia, Micronesia, and Polynesia-is the ideal region to investigate the development of prehistoric fishing studies, as nowhere else on Earth is there such environmental contrasts among island types and their marine environments. We review the ichthyoarchaeological literature for the Pacific and assess developments in recovery methods, reference collections, taxonomic identifications, quantification, taphonomy and site-formation processes, ethnoarchaeology, approaches to diet and subsistence reconstructions, sustainability, and the importance of applied zooarchaeology for fisheries management and conservation. Ichthyoarchaeologists are beginning to work more closely with resource managers, fisheries biologists, policy makers, and indigenous communities to produce holistic studies of conservation management, resource sustainability, and assessments of human impacts on marine ecosystems over centuries to millennial time scales.