Approaches to Dating Wetland Agricultural Features : An Example from Wailau Valley, Moloka‘i Island, Hawai‘i

Abstract

The dynamic environment of wetland agricultural systems presents unique challenges for dating.As water and sediment move through the system, charred plant material is transported as well, thus scattered charcoal collected from pondfi eld deposits may have originated from anywhere upslope.My paper considers several alternative approaches for assessing the age of wetland agricultural features, including wall superposition and abutment analyses, re-use of wetland terraces for non-agricultural purposes, the presence of historical material and introduced plant taxa, and radiocarbon dating charcoal from beneath wall foundation stones as termini post quem.These techniques were used to estimate the age of 19 wetland systems in Wailau Valley, Hawai'i, and the utility of each approach will be assessed here.

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