Anthropogenic forests, arboriculture, and niche construction in the Marquesas Islands (Polynesia)

Huebert, Jennifer; Allen, Melinda S.

doi:10.1016/j.jaa.2019.101122

Cited by 22 publications

(16 citation statements)

References 56 publications

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“…While some native taxa persisted into late prehistory, economically important trees were eventually established, with candlenut, ironwood and possibly breadfruit represented in late prehistory. The vegetation transformations observed at Ho‘oumi align with archaeological results from elsewhere on Nuku Hiva (Huebert & Allen 2016, 2020).…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 76%

“…Artocarpus altilis) had become sufficiently well-established in the area as to make it into the archaeobotanical record. All three species have been identified elsewhere on the island in contemporary or earlier contexts (Huebert & Allen 2020).…”

Section: Vegetation Changementioning

confidence: 99%

“…Today there are some 333 native taxa, of which 48% are endemic (Lorence et al 2016). Another two dozen trees, shrubs and tall woody monocots are considered Polynesian introductions, along with several herbaceous taxa (Allen & Ussher 2013;Florence 2004;Florence & Lorence 1997;Huebert & Allen 2020;Whistler 2009). Archaeobotanical study shows the loss of native forest began soon after Polynesian arrival (Huebert & Allen 2016).…”

Section: Study Areamentioning

confidence: 99%

“…By the fourteenth century AD, settlements were widespread, both on Nuku Hiva and across the archipelago (Allen & McAlister 2010, 2013Charleux et al 2014;Conte 2002). Over the next two to three centuries, settlements expanded into interior regions and a subsistence economy based on breadfruit evolved (Huebert & Allen 2020). Sometime later, impressive community complexes (tohua), shrines (me'ae) and raised house foundations (paepae hiamoe) appeared, distinguished foremost by their large boulder facades.…”

Section: Study Areamentioning

confidence: 99%

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Marquesan ceramics, palaeotsunami, and megalithic architecture: Ho‘oumi Beach site (NHo‐3) in regional perspective

Allen

McAlister

Petchey

et al. 2021

Archaeology in Oceania

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The iconic Ho'oumi Beach site Nuku Hiva Island (Marquesas), was excavated by Robert Suggs in the late 1950s. It figured importantly in his island-wide reconstruction of settlement patterns, socio-political organisation, material culture and subsistence change -a cultural historical framework that has guided Marquesan archaeology for six decades. Ho'oumi is also one of four Marquesan localities where prehistoric ceramics have been found. We revisited Ho'oumi to acquire chronological and palaeoenvironmental context for two cultural occupations reported by Suggs. Eight 14 C determinations on short-lived materials and new marine reservoir corrections are reported, and the overall series evaluated using Bayesian modelling. A single ceramic sherd, previously assigned to a Fijian source, is attributed to the thirteenth to fourteenth centuries AD -a period when Marquesans engaged in long-distance voyaging. A significant marine inundation disrupted the associated occupation, leading to sustained coastal abandonment. Stratigraphic and historical evidence suggests this was a palaeotsunami, which may also be represented at Hane (Ua Huka Island). House pavements of the early occupation were replaced by raised megalithic house foundations, probably around the late seventeenth to mid-eighteenth centuries AD, but material culture changes were modest. By late prehistory, mature native forest was largely replaced by secondary species and Polynesian introductions.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 76%

Section: Vegetation Changementioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Study Areamentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Study Areamentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

Marquesan ceramics, palaeotsunami, and megalithic architecture: Ho‘oumi Beach site (NHo‐3) in regional perspective

Allen

McAlister

Petchey

et al. 2021

Archaeology in Oceania

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“…Domesticated landscapes are created by the conscious and unconscious processes of manipulating ecosystems and the plants that compose them, resulting in more productive environments suitable for humans (Terrell et al, 2003;Casas et al, 2017;Hecht, 2017;Clement et al, 2021). This feedback between practice and result is one of the differentials of NCT (Matthews et al, 2014;Huebert and Allen, 2020;Davis and Douglass, 2021).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Indigenous and Traditional Management Creates and Maintains the Diversity of Ecosystems of South American Tropical Savannas

Ferreira

Levis

Chaves

et al. 2022

Front. Environ. Sci.

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The tropical South American savannas have been occupied and manipulated by humans since the late Pleistocene. Ecologists consider that soils, hydrology, and seasonal precipitation influence the structure and composition of plants and the fire-proneness of savannas. However, the human influence on these dynamics remains uncertain. This is because little is known about human activities and what influence they have on the diversity of ecosystems. Considering this, our study sought to synthesize the management practices used by small-scale societies of the South American savannas, compile the species that are the focus of direct management, and demonstrate the role of this management in maintaining the diverse ecosystems that make up the savannas. We also set out to test the hypotheses that forms of management differ depending on the ecosystem and cultural matrices. To do so, we conducted a systematic review, in which we collected 51 articles with information about the management carried out by small-scale societies. From this, we categorized 10 management practices directed to ecosystems: protection of the ecosystem, enrichment of species, topographic changes, increased soil fertility, cleaning, prevention of fire, resource promotion, driving of game, swidden-fallow, and maintenance of ecosystem structure. We identified 19 native plant species whose populations are managed in-situ. These management practices have proven capable of keeping savanna and grassland ecosystems open and increasing the occurrence of forest ecosystems in the mosaic, as well as favoring plants of human interest in general. We note that there is a relationship between management practices with ecosystems and cultures, which suggests that both factors influence the management of landscapes. We conclude that management practices of small-scale societies are responsible for domesticating South American tropical savannas and that these savannas are composed of a mosaic of culturally constructed niches. The small-scale societies that inhabit these environments have important traditional ecological knowledge and strategies that enable the use, conservation, and restoration of savannas, extremely threatened by agribusiness today.Systematic Review Registration: [website], identifier [registration number].

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Weaving feathers of intangible and tangible knowledge: Historical records and human‐bird interactions in the Marquesas Islands

Pillay

2024

Archaeology in Oceania

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Birds fulfilled an essential role in ancient Polynesian cultures. They were prized for their bones and colourful feathers, fat, and protein; their cultural importance is further highlighted in Polynesian oral histories. This research investigates the dynamics of human‐bird interactions over time in the Marquesas Archipelago as known from archaeology, oral histories, ethnohistorical records, and museum collections. I analyse the range of avian taxa represented across the various datasets and their cultural uses. The results demonstrate that while some species are represented across one or more datasets, understanding the full extent of species’ cultural roles and use requires more than one thread of analysis, particularly for those taxa with limited or no archaeological signature. Two forms of managed resource use emerge from this study. One is tapu (prohibition of use), and the second is the conservative use of birds as a resource such as restricted feather collecting. Red feathers, represented in museum objects and historical accounts, highlight multiple taxa being used for specific adornment types. The combined analyses provide insights into the loss and persistence of species, as well as aspects of Marquesan cultural management.

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Anthropogenic forests, arboriculture, and niche construction in the Marquesas Islands (Polynesia)

Cited by 22 publications

References 56 publications

Marquesan ceramics, palaeotsunami, and megalithic architecture: Ho‘oumi Beach site (NHo‐3) in regional perspective

Marquesan ceramics, palaeotsunami, and megalithic architecture: Ho‘oumi Beach site (NHo‐3) in regional perspective

Indigenous and Traditional Management Creates and Maintains the Diversity of Ecosystems of South American Tropical Savannas

Weaving feathers of intangible and tangible knowledge: Historical records and human‐bird interactions in the Marquesas Islands

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