The Eighth Land: The Polynesian Discovery and Settlement of Easter Island

Barthel, Thomas S.

doi:10.2307/214373

Cited by 7 publications

(2 citation statements)

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“…the first emissaries from the founding king, Hotu A Matu'a, visited the island of Rapa Nui [11]. Martinsson-Wallin's research in the Vinapu area [100,101] has indicated that elongated holes found in prehistoric contexts could indicate the cultivation of Dioscorea sp.…”

Section: Plos Onementioning

confidence: 99%

“…The time span between the first and second stages probably required return voyages, as handed down in traditional legends. For example, the oral history of Rapa Nui regarding the planning stage of the new settlement is very specific, and states that it involved at least one return voyage [10,11]. The process of colonization of the numerous islands of East Polynesia and Marginal East Polynesia [12] spread over the vast expanse of the Pacific Ocean involved the intentional transport of several species, as the islands become increasingly impoverished in natural resources from west to east.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Identification of breadfruit (Artocarpus altilis) and South American crops introduced during early settlement of Rapa Nui (Easter Island), as revealed through starch analysis

Berenguer,

Clavero,

Saldarriaga-Córdoba

et al. 2024

PLoS ONE

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Starch residue analysis was carried out on stone tools recovered from the bottom layer of the Anakena site on Rapa Nui (Easter Island). These deposits have been dated to AD 1000–1300 AD and so far, represent the earliest evidence of human settlement on this island. Twenty obsidian tools were analyzed. Analysis of 46 starch grains recovered from 20 obsidian tools from the earliest dated level of the Anakena site on Rapa Nui provides direct evidence for translocation of traditional crop plants at initial stages of the colonization of this island. The analysis of starch grains was based mainly on statistical methods for species identification but was complemented by visual inspection in some cases. Our results identify taxons previously unknown to have been cultivated on the island, such as breadfruit (Artocarpus altilis), Zingiber officinale (ginger), and starch grains of the Spondias dulcis and Inocarpus fagifer tropical trees. Additionally, starch grains of Colocasia esculenta (taro) and Dioscorea sp. (yam), both common species in Pacific agriculture, were identified. Furthermore, the presence of four American taxa Ipomoea batatas (sweet potato), Canna sp. (achira), Manihot esculenta (manioc), and Xanthosoma sp., was detected. The occurrence of Canna sp., M. esculenta, and Xanthosoma sp. starch grains suggests the translocation of previously not described South American cultivars into the Pacific. The detection of I. batatas from this site in Rapa Nui constitutes the earliest record of this cultigen in the Pacific. Our study provides direct evidence for translocation of a set of traditional Polynesian and South American crop plants at the initial stages of colonization in Rapa Nui.

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Section: Plos Onementioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%