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Cited by 73Pacific and Southeast Asian StudiesIsland Studies and Pacific AffairsGlobal Maritime and Colonial Histories

Stone tools from the ancient Tongan state reveal prehistoric interaction centers in the Central Pacific

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Clark, Geoffrey R., Reepmeyer, Christian, Melekiola, Nivaleti, Woodhead, Jon, Dickinson, William R., Martinsson-Wallin, Helene·2014·Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
DOI 10.1073/pnas.1406165111PMC PMC4115531
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Abstract

Tonga was unique in the prehistoric Pacific for developing a maritime state that integrated the archipelago under a centralized authority and for undertaking long-distance economic and political exchanges in the second millennium A.D. To establish the extent of Tonga's maritime polity, we geochemically analyzed stone tools excavated from the central places of the ruling paramounts, particularly lithic artifacts associated with stone-faced chiefly tombs. The lithic networks of the Tongan state focused on Samoa and Fiji, with one adze sourced to the Society Islands 2,500 km from Tongatapu. To test the hypothesis that nonlocal lithics were especially valued by Tongan elites and were an important source of political capital, we analyzed prestate lithics from Tongatapu and stone artifacts from Samoa. In the Tongan state, 66% of worked stone tools were long-distance imports, indicating that interarchipelago connections intensified with the development of the Tongan polity after A.D. 1200. In contrast, stone tools found in Samoa were from local sources, including tools associated with a monumental structure contemporary with the Tongan state. Network analysis of lithics entering the Tongan state and of the distribution of Samoan adzes in the Pacific identified a centralized polity and the products of specialized lithic workshops, respectively. These results indicate that a significant consequence of social complexity was the establishment of new types of specialized sites in distant geographic areas. Specialized sites were loci of long-distance interaction and formed important centers for the transmission of information, people, and materials in prehistoric Oceania.

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Crossref · 10.1073/pnas.1406165111

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  • A single tentative identification of a basalt artifact found in Tonga has been sourced to the Society Islands.

    “there has been added a single tentative identification of a basalt artifact found in Tonga that has been sourced to Society Islands [110].”

    From Dispersal, Isolation, and Interaction in the Islands of Polynesia: A Critical Review of Archaeological and Genetic Evidence (2017) · cites this paper as [110]

    The Discussion identifies one adze from a Tongan tomb (sample 203) as having a likely Society Islands source. The Interaction in the Tongan State section describes that artifact as phonotephrite, not basalt, so the rock-type description is not supported. (LLM, conf=0.88)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured

  • There is evidence of travel between the islands of Western Polynesia and a number of islands in Micronesia and Melanesia, including Polynesian Outlier islands.

    “There is also evidence of travel between the islands of Western Polynesia and a number of islands in Micronesia and Melanesia, including Polynesian Outlier islands [110].”

    From Dispersal, Isolation, and Interaction in the Islands of Polynesia: A Critical Review of Archaeological and Genetic Evidence (2017) · cites this paper as [110]

    The Discussion reports traditional histories of Tongan arrival on Tikopia and Anuta and linguistic evidence of travel to Rotuma, supporting travel between Western Polynesia and some Melanesian islands, including Polynesian Outliers. The passages do not establish travel to Micronesian islands, so that part of the claim is unsupported by our copy. (LLM, conf=0.84)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured

  • The movement of stone tools within and beyond the islands of Western Polynesia reflects late pre-contact political integration.

    “A recent summary of the long distance movement of artifacts within, and beyond, the islands of Western Polynesia suggests that the movement of stone tools reflects late pre-contact political integration [110].”

    From Dispersal, Isolation, and Interaction in the Islands of Polynesia: A Critical Review of Archaeological and Genetic Evidence (2017) · cites this paper as [110]

  • There is more evidence linking Western Polynesia and Central Eastern Polynesia, artifacts representing movements between islands of Central Eastern Polynesia, and a single artifact from Marginal Eastern Polynesia found in Central Eastern Polynesia.

    “We now have more evidence linking Western Polynesia and Central Eastern Polynesia [110], artifacts representing movements between the islands of Central Eastern Polynesia [118], and a single artifact from Marginal Eastern Polynesia found in Central Eastern Polynesia [115].”

    From Dispersal, Isolation, and Interaction in the Islands of Polynesia: A Critical Review of Archaeological and Genetic Evidence (2017) · cites this paper as [110]

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Cites

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Research works printed but not linked: 11

  1. Earle TK (1997) Exchange in Oceania: Search for Evolutionary Explanations. Prehistoric Long-Distance Interaction in Oceania: An interdisciplinary Approach, New Zealand Archaeological Association Monograph, ed Weisler MI (New Zealand Archaeological Association, Auckland, New Zealand), Vol 21, pp 224-237.
  2. Orange J (1998) Narrative of the Late George Vason of Nottingham. One of the Troop of Missionaries First Sent to the South Sea Islands by the London Missionary Society in the Ship DUFF. Captain Wilson 1796 (Taulua Press, Nuku'alofa, Tongatapu).
  3. Burley D (2007) Archaeological demography and population growth in the Kingdom of Tonga -950 BC to the historic era. Long Term Demographic History in the Pacific Islands, eds Kirch PV, Rallu J (Univ of Hawaii Press, Honolulu), pp 177-202.
  4. Clark GR, Reepmeyer C, Stone architecture, monumentality and the rise of the early Tongan chiefdom. Antiquity, in press.
  5. Clark GR (2002) Adzes of Interaction: Samoan Basalt Artefacts in Fiji. Fifty Years in the Field: Essays in Honour and Celebration of Richard Shutler Jr's Archaeological Career, New Zealand Archaeological Association Monograph, eds Bedford S, Sand C, Burley D (New Zealand Archaeological Association, Auckland, New Zealand), Vol 25, pp 227-238.
  6. Krämer A (1994) The Samoa Islands. An Outline of a Monograph with Particular Consideration of German Samoa. Volume I. Constitution, Pedigrees and Traditions (Pasifika Press, Auckland, New Zealand).
  7. Sand C, Addison DJ (2008) Archaeology in the Polynesian Homeland: The State of Play at the Beginning of the 21st Century. Recent Advances in the Archaeology of the Fiji/ West-Polynesia Region, Studies in Prehistoric Anthropology, eds Addison DJ, Sand C (Univ of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand).
  8. Clark GR, Anderson A (2009) Colonisation and Culture Change in the Early Prehistory of Fiji. The Early Prehistory of Fiji, Terra Australis, eds Clark GR, Anderson A (Aus- tralian National University E Press, Canberra, Australia), pp 407-437.
  9. Gunson N (1979) The hau leadership in Western Polynesia. J Pac Hist 14(1):28-49.
  10. Martin J (1991) Tonga Islands. William Mariner's Account (Vava'u Press, Tonga).
  11. Leach BF, Davidson J (2008) The Archaeology of Taumako: A Polynesian Outlier in the Eastern Solomon Islands (New Zealand Journal of Archaeology Special Publication, Auckland, New Zealand).

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Authors
Clark, G. R., Reepmeyer, C., Melekiola, N., Woodhead, J., Dickinson, W. R., & Martinsson-Wallin, H.
Affiliations
  • Australian National University (AU)
  • Lapaha Town Council, Lapaha Village, Tongatapu, Kingdom of Tonga;
  • The University of Melbourne (AU)
  • University of Arizona (US)
  • Department of Archaeology and Ancient History, Gotland Campus, Uppsala University, 75105 Uppsala, Sweden
ORCID
Venue
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
Publisher
National Academy of Sciences
Published
2014-07-07
Volume
111
Issue
29
Pages
10491-10496
ISSN
  • 0027-8424 (ISSN-L)
  • 1091-6490
DOI
10.1073/pnas.1406165111
PMC
PMC4115531
OpenAlex
W2048652881
Cited by
73
References
47
Citations by year
2026: 4 · 2025: 7 · 2024: 3 · 2023: 4 · 2022: 4 · 2021: 7 · 2020: 4 · 2019: 12 · 2018: 5 · 2017: 10 · 2016: 6 · 2015: 5 · 2014: 2
FWCI
53.55
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • ResearchOnline - JCU (James Cook University) (submittedVersion)
  • ANU Open Research (Australian National University) (submittedVersion)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Geography, Planning and Development › Pacific and Southeast Asian Studies
  • Social Sciences › Demography › Island Studies and Pacific Affairs
  • Social Sciences › Anthropology › Global Maritime and Colonial Histories
Keywords
lithic artifacts, adze, long-distance exchange, Tongatapu, Samoa, Fiji, Society Islands, social complexity, political capital, central authority
MeSH terms
Geography, Humans, Pacific Ocean, Tonga, Samoa, Geologic Sediments, History, Ancient, Tool Use Behavior, Islands

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