Trace element and Pb isotope analyses highlight decentralized inter-island exchange in American Sāmoa (Polynesia)

Seth Quintus; Peter Mills; Jasper Konter; Stephanie Day; Darr Gilreath; Noa Kekuewa Lincoln; Steven Lundblad; Denys Vonderhaar; Kyungsoo Yoo

doi:10.1007/s12520-022-01571-w

Trace element and Pb isotope analyses highlight decentralized inter-island exchange in American Sāmoa (Polynesia)

Seth Quintus, Peter Mills, Jasper Konter, Stephanie Day, Darr Gilreath, Noa Kekuewa Lincoln, Steven Lundblad, Denys Vonderhaar, Kyungsoo Yoo

Soil, Water, and Climate

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Abstract

Exchange plays a number of roles within societies, including the provisioning of necessary and prestige resources. The elucidation of these different roles requires documenting how different kinds of material were used and how these resources became distributed. These studies are particularly prominent in Polynesia, especially the Sāmoan archipelago. However, the nature and scale of artifact transfer within and outside the archipelago are debated given deficiencies in the empirical record. Here, we remedy this situation by examining trends in Sāmoan intra-archipelago exchange using geochemical and limited technological analyses of a lithic assemblage from the Manu‘a group of the Sāmoan archipelago. Our results indicate that material from multiple basalt sources is present, including several sources outside the Manu‘a group. It is apparent that this nonlocal material was used differently than local material as 95% of analyzed adzes were manufactured of the former. However, there is no evidence to suggest that this nonlocal material was differentially distributed or controlled at the scale of the group or site. We argue that this is evidence of decentralized exchange and that imported materials became common pool resources to support community resiliency and sustainability.

Original language	English (US)
Article number	103
Journal	Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences
Volume	14
Issue number	6
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1007/s12520-022-01571-w
State	Published - Jun 2022

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
This work was supported by the National Science Foundation through grant no. BCS-1732360.

Funding Information:
We thank and recognize the population of Manu‘a, including all those with whom we worked. We thank especially Eseta Kese and Pastor Fred Scanlan for hosting and assisting us during our research. We thank Logoleo Feagai Logoleo for permission to work in Luatele. We wish also to recognize the contributions of Jennifer Huebert, Jaratnapa Surinlert, Tiffany Lee, Darby Filimoehala, Malone Ieti, Princecharles Faleagafulu, Christina Fu‘afu‘a, Tafa Fuafua, Paulo Paulo, Oceana Te‘i, Arthur Sega, Fafeta‘i Lauofo, Joshua Fu‘afu‘a, Falani Masunu, Visa Vaivai Tiapusua, Brian Vivao, Fa‘afutai Lauofo, Fauato Aukuso, Taumakai Atautia, Jonathon Mauga, Leonard Vivao, Lawrence Fautua, Robert Mauga, J. J. Tanielu, and Achilles Tevasea to the success of this research. We appreciate the helpful comments of Robert DiNapoli on a draft version of this manuscript as well as the laboratory support of Aaron Pietruszka. Finally, we thank the American Samoa Historic Preservation Office, specifically Letitia Peau-Folau, Teleai Christian Ausage, and Lancelot Leutu‘utuofiti Te‘i, for archaeological and logistical support. Logistical assistance was provided by the National Park of American Samoa under permit NPSA-2019-SCI-0001.

Publisher Copyright:
© 2022, The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.

Keywords

Collective action
Common pool resources
EDXRF
Geochemistry
ICPMS
Polynesia

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10.1007/s12520-022-01571-w

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title = "Trace element and Pb isotope analyses highlight decentralized inter-island exchange in American Sāmoa (Polynesia)",

abstract = "Exchange plays a number of roles within societies, including the provisioning of necessary and prestige resources. The elucidation of these different roles requires documenting how different kinds of material were used and how these resources became distributed. These studies are particularly prominent in Polynesia, especially the Sāmoan archipelago. However, the nature and scale of artifact transfer within and outside the archipelago are debated given deficiencies in the empirical record. Here, we remedy this situation by examining trends in Sāmoan intra-archipelago exchange using geochemical and limited technological analyses of a lithic assemblage from the Manu{\textquoteleft}a group of the Sāmoan archipelago. Our results indicate that material from multiple basalt sources is present, including several sources outside the Manu{\textquoteleft}a group. It is apparent that this nonlocal material was used differently than local material as 95% of analyzed adzes were manufactured of the former. However, there is no evidence to suggest that this nonlocal material was differentially distributed or controlled at the scale of the group or site. We argue that this is evidence of decentralized exchange and that imported materials became common pool resources to support community resiliency and sustainability.",

keywords = "Collective action, Common pool resources, EDXRF, Geochemistry, ICPMS, Polynesia",

author = "Seth Quintus and Peter Mills and Jasper Konter and Stephanie Day and Darr Gilreath and {Kekuewa Lincoln}, Noa and Steven Lundblad and Denys Vonderhaar and Kyungsoo Yoo",

note = "Funding Information: This work was supported by the National Science Foundation through grant no. BCS-1732360. Funding Information: We thank and recognize the population of Manu{\textquoteleft}a, including all those with whom we worked. We thank especially Eseta Kese and Pastor Fred Scanlan for hosting and assisting us during our research. We thank Logoleo Feagai Logoleo for permission to work in Luatele. We wish also to recognize the contributions of Jennifer Huebert, Jaratnapa Surinlert, Tiffany Lee, Darby Filimoehala, Malone Ieti, Princecharles Faleagafulu, Christina Fu{\textquoteleft}afu{\textquoteleft}a, Tafa Fuafua, Paulo Paulo, Oceana Te{\textquoteleft}i, Arthur Sega, Fafeta{\textquoteleft}i Lauofo, Joshua Fu{\textquoteleft}afu{\textquoteleft}a, Falani Masunu, Visa Vaivai Tiapusua, Brian Vivao, Fa{\textquoteleft}afutai Lauofo, Fauato Aukuso, Taumakai Atautia, Jonathon Mauga, Leonard Vivao, Lawrence Fautua, Robert Mauga, J. J. Tanielu, and Achilles Tevasea to the success of this research. We appreciate the helpful comments of Robert DiNapoli on a draft version of this manuscript as well as the laboratory support of Aaron Pietruszka. Finally, we thank the American Samoa Historic Preservation Office, specifically Letitia Peau-Folau, Teleai Christian Ausage, and Lancelot Leutu{\textquoteleft}utuofiti Te{\textquoteleft}i, for archaeological and logistical support. Logistical assistance was provided by the National Park of American Samoa under permit NPSA-2019-SCI-0001. Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2022, The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.",

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AU - Kekuewa Lincoln, Noa

AU - Lundblad, Steven

AU - Vonderhaar, Denys

AU - Yoo, Kyungsoo

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KW - EDXRF

KW - Geochemistry

KW - ICPMS

KW - Polynesia

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Trace element and Pb isotope analyses highlight decentralized inter-island exchange in American Sāmoa (Polynesia)

Abstract

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Keywords

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