Petrographic and geochemical evidence reveals the local focus of interaction throughout Samoa’s prehistory

Summary

Bill Dickinson’s extensive and unequaled ceramic petrographic research has identified spatial patterns of artefact production and population interaction across the Pacific Islands. In Samoa his work on ceramic collections suggests a largely local focus of production and distribution. We combine Dickinson’s ceramic petrography with all available geochemical analyses of ceramics, basalt and obsidian artefacts, and demonstrate local-scale production and movement for all of these artefact classes. Additionally, local artefact production and distribution is the dominant pattern for Samoa’s prehistory. We argue these patterns are explained by Samoa’s demographic history and environment.

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This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• An Archaeologist’s Geologist: A Symposium in Honor of William R. Dickinson   •
• Society for American Archaeology 80th Annual Meeting, San Francisco, CA (2015)

Keywords

Spatial Coverage