Article2004

A stone tool basalt source on Ata, Southern Tonga

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Pacific and Southeast Asian Studies Pleistocene-Era Hominins and Archaeology Cultural Heritage Materials Analysis

Abstract

A geochemical analysis of debitage from the only known fine-grained basalt source (quarry) in Tonga is described, thus filling a geographical gap that will enhance artefact source assignments for prehistoric interaction studies. Four pieces were analysed from the most southern Tongan island of ‘Ata: two flakes from an adze workshop above a cobble beach and the source of the basalt, and two additional flakes from a habitation terrace on the upper plateau. All material is geochemically similar and from the same source. The flakes from the habitation terrace were associated with Polynesian plainware ceramics dated to about 2000 BP, which makes the ‘Ata source one of the oldest adze quarries now known in Polynesia.

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References

1997Prehistoric long-distance interaction in Oceania : an interdisciplinary approach 1998Hard Evidence for Prehistoric Interaction in Polynesia 1992Necromancing the Stone: Archaeologists and Adzes in Samoa 2010Exchange Patterns in Goods and Spouses: Fiji, Tonga and Samoa 2002Centrality and the Collapse of Long-Distance Voyaging in East Polynesia 2004The Volcanic Outlier of 'Ata in Tongan Prehistory: Reconsideration of its Role and Settlement Chronology

Cited by

2006INAA of pre-contact basalt quarries on the Samoan Island of Tutuila: a preliminary baseline for an artifact-centered provenance study 2004The Volcanic Outlier of 'Ata in Tongan Prehistory: Reconsideration of its Role and Settlement Chronology 2023The Birth of Polynesia: An Archaeological Journey Through the Kingdom of Tonga

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