On Taro, Tridacna, and Turtles: Using a Multiproxy Method to Explore Food, Fishing, and Agriculture on Pingelap, a Micronesian Atoll

Summary

This is an abstract from the "The Archaeology of Food and Foodways: Emerging Trends and New Perspectives" session, at the 89th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

Pingelap Atoll, located in Pohnpei State, Federated States of Micronesia, has been home to humans for approximately 1,700 years. At 1.8 km2 and 70 km from its nearest island neighbor, food procurement has traditionally relied on marine fishing and hunting as well as intensive management of the coral island landscape, centered on the cultivation of giant swamp taro (Cyrtosperma merkusii). In this paper, we explore patterns in Pingelapese food systems over the span of occupation, drawing on archaeobotanical (macroremain and phytolith) and zooarchaeological data (including land snails) from a large midden near the village, as well as interviews with modern farmers and fishers. We find evidence for notable shifts in marine food consumption as well as landscape improvements leading to the development of productive soils in this coraline environment. Modern practices still rely heavily on traditional land and sea foods, although environmental and economic patterns have led to significant dietary shifts.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• The Archaeology of Food and Foodways: Emerging Trends and New Perspectives   •
• Society for American Archaeology 89th Annual Meeting, New Orleans, LA (2024)

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Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 39367.0