The Ngake 001 Site: Surface Mapping and Subsurface Investigations

Summary

The Ngake 001 site is located on Manihiki Atoll in the northern Cook Islands. In all, the site covers an area of roughly two hectars and consists of four coral-edged courts, two small coral-edged enclosures, a possible well, part of a lagoon shore path, and a mound and trench system that provides access to the islet’s Ghyben-Herzberg freshwater lens. Multiple surveys, by the authors and others, suggest that the Ngake 001 site is situated at the center of a large prehistoric village complex that includes residential areas, marae, and cultivation areas. Furthermore, the site provides access to multiple resource zones including Manihiki lagoon, the ocean shore, and the shallow channel that connects the two. Subsurface investigations, include an ocean-to-lagoon shovel-test survey and multiple excavation units. Preliminary analyses of artifacts, including clam-shell adzes and pearl-shell fishhooks, indicate that Ngake 001 was utilized during the late prehistoric period before the arrival of missionaries in AD 1849 and possibly much earlier. Additional analyses will allow us to provide greater detail on the role of Ngake 001 as a habitation site, population center, and possible seat of chiefly power on Manihiki Atoll.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 83rd Annual Meeting, Washington, DC (2018)

Keywords

Spatial Coverage

Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 20056