COMPREHENSIVE ANALYSIS OF CULTURAL DEPOSITS BEHIND THE CHARLES WONG HOUSE, LEVUKA, FIJI

Author(s): Linda Scott Cummings; Chad Yost; Kathryn Puseman; Melissa K. Logan

Year: 2009

Summary

A Chinese house was built in the 1920s on fill that enlarged the narrow strip of land on the southeast side of the Island of Ovalau in the Fijian Archipelago, on which much of the town of Levuka is built. Since the beach was narrow in this area, many of the first commercial structures were built on fill. A bakery is located to the north of Charlie Wong’s house. Cultural deposits that appear to represent a midden behind the house, excavated in 2007, were examined to identify likely local vegetation at the time they accumulated, which is assumed to be associated with use of the bakery during the 1920s, when it was built. This date of occupation is substantiated by artifacts recovered at the site. Pollen, phytolith, starch, macrofloral, protein residue, and FTIR analyses were conducted on fill from Test Units 1 (2007) and 2 (2008), which represent the midden associated with the house. Both samples, collected approximately 40 cm apart, represent deposits originating between 1920 and 1930. Sediment recovered 20 cm below the ground surface behind the house next to the chimney during the 2009 excavation also was submitted for pollen, phytolith, macrofloral, and FTIR analyses.

Cite this Record

COMPREHENSIVE ANALYSIS OF CULTURAL DEPOSITS BEHIND THE CHARLES WONG HOUSE, LEVUKA, FIJI. Linda Scott Cummings, Chad Yost, Kathryn Puseman, Melissa K. Logan. PRI Technical Report ,2009-151. 2009 ( tDAR id: 380084) ; doi:10.6067/XCV8C24VZ6

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

Keywords

Culture
Historic

Material
Macrobotanical • Midden • Pollen

Site Name
Charlie Wong’s house

Investigation Types
Data Recovery / Excavation

General
07-093 • 08-128 • 09-151 • CIEP Analysis • FTIR Analysis • Macrofloral Analysis • organic residue analysis • Phytolith Analysis • Pollen Analysis • Protein Residue Analysis • Starch Analysis

Geographic Keywords
Fiji (Country) • Fijian Archipelago • Island of Ovalau • Levuka • Ovalau

Temporal Keywords
1920s

Spatial Coverage

min long: 178.692; min lat: -17.806 ; max long: 178.853; max lat: -17.584 ;

Individual & Institutional Roles

Contact(s): PaleoResearch Institute

File Information

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09-151-final-report.pdf 393.84kb Dec 21, 2012 3:09:47 PM Public