Recalibrating Polynesian prehistory

Terrell, John Edward

doi:10.1073/pnas.1018804108

Cited by 7 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 13 publications

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“…(2) The 'long pause' in migration eastward from the TSA (Terrell, 2011), which lasted about 2000 years. (3) Minor expansion around 2000 BP into Rotuma, Pukapuka and Niue during the 'long pause' (Irwin, 2010).…”

Section: Polynesian Settlement and Palaeotsunamismentioning

confidence: 99%

Palaeotsunamis and their influence on Polynesian settlement

et al. 2012

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The 11 March 2011 Tō hoku-oki tsunami caused widespread devastation to coastal communities in Japan. This event however was merely the latest, yet largest, of several similar occurrences in the Pacific that include the 2007 Solomon Islands, 2009 South Pacific and 2010 Chilean tsunamis. All have had their predecessors, and a growing data base of palaeotsunamis in the Pacific suggests recurrent events comparable with, and of larger magnitude than their recent historical counterparts. Here we show that evidence for regional palaeotsunamis provides an opportunity to re-evaluate hypotheses used to explain the punctuated history of human settlement patterns across the Pacific. In particular, the almost two millennia 'long pause' in eastward migration, and the abandonment of long distance sea-voyaging in the 15th century, may be related to palaeotsunamis, with potential sources including the tectonically active Tonga-Kermadec trench, the Kuwae caldera collapse, and the more distant Pacific-wide Ring of Fire.

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Section: Polynesian Settlement and Palaeotsunamismentioning

confidence: 99%

Palaeotsunamis and their influence on Polynesian settlement

et al. 2012

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“…There has also been much debate about the timing of human settlement in East Polynesia (e.g. Kirch 2010;Terrell 2011;Goodwin et al 2014) and the main controls affecting it, with climate (e.g. Goodwin et al 2014) or paleotsunamis (e.g.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Late Holocene record of environmental changes, cyclones and tsunamis in a coastal lake, Mangaia, Cook Islands

et al. 2016

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A 4.3 m‐long peat sequence from the shore of Lake Tiriara, Mangaia, Cook Islands, was analyzed using an ITRAX core scanner equipped with a magnetic susceptibility meter. Variations in the elemental profiles, providing insights into long‐ and short‐term environmental changes over the last 3500 years, are supported by grain size data and diatom assemblages. The scattering ratio (Mo Inc/Mo Coh) was evaluated and found to represent a good proxy for organic matter in peat. X‐Ray Fluorescence (XRF) data were processed by principal component analysis that confirmed the distinction of biogenic and detrital phases, organic matter and elements of marine origin. The record preserved in the peat sequence includes a peatland infilling stage followed by alternating drier and wetter periods. A notable steady increase in clay associated with high counts of detrital elements from 2000–1700 cal yr BP is attributed to increased erosion, which is most probably linked with human colonization and/or more intense chemical weathering linked with a wetter climate. Freshwater gastropods (Melanoides sp.), which were possibly introduced by humans, or are native, occupied the wetland during a period of lower water level about 1000–1100 cal yr BP. Short‐term changes in the elemental profiles are often linked with slight coarsening of the inorganic fraction that is, however, only revealed after grain size analysis. Peaks in marine indicators (Br, Cl, S, and/or Ca) associated with marine‐dominated diatom assemblages most probably represent marine incursions through the underground tunnel in the makatea, a fossilized, uplifted coral limestone rim. While none of the marine event units present characteristics typical of cyclone or tsunami deposits, the concurrent or absent peak of detrital elements (Fe, Si, Rb, Ti, K) attributed to increased erosion of the volcanic cone associated with a cyclone is used to distinguish both types of events, as also suggested by principal component analysis.

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“…How can we account for the emergence (and subsequent loss) of this kind of cultural diversity using archaeological data in conversation with other lines of evidence, such as demographic, linguistic, or ethnohistoric data (Kirch andGreen 1987, 2001;Kirch and Rallu 2007)? Related to this question are ongoing debates about how best to model the human settlement of island environments and how this history relates to cultural diversity within the Pacific region (Addison and Matisoo-Smith 2010;Burley 2013;Kirch 2010b;Specht et al 2016;Terrell 2011) and elsewhere (Hofman et al, 2007).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Preliminary Results of the South Vanuatu Archaeological Survey: Cultural Landscapes, Excavation, and Radiocarbon Dating

Flexner¹,

Bedford²,

Valentin³

et al. 2018

Asian Perspectives

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South Vanuatu was an important hub of settlement and interaction in the tropical southwestern Pacific. A recent field project, the South Vanuatu Archaeological Survey, has begun carrying out field research, focusing initially on the islands of Futuna, Aniwa, and Tanna. This work builds upon pioneering research carried out in the 1960s, which in these islands has not been followed up until the last five years or so. We present initial findings from survey and test excavations carried out in 2016, including new radiocarbon dates for the region and the discovery of pottery on Tanna.

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Recalibrating Polynesian prehistory

Cited by 7 publications

References 13 publications

Palaeotsunamis and their influence on Polynesian settlement

Palaeotsunamis and their influence on Polynesian settlement

Late Holocene record of environmental changes, cyclones and tsunamis in a coastal lake, Mangaia, Cook Islands

Preliminary Results of the South Vanuatu Archaeological Survey: Cultural Landscapes, Excavation, and Radiocarbon Dating

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