Rethinking Date Determination in Oceania

Summary

This is an abstract from the session entitled "Paper / Report Submission (General Sessions)", at the 2025 annual meeting of the Society for Historical Archaeology.

Early efforts to date key events in the histories of the peoples of Oceania often relied on traditional narratives, oral histories, and genealogical dating. However, date determination based on historical and traditional accounts has recently given way to the use of scientific methods, primarily radiocarbon dating. Despite this shift, recent efforts combining historical, traditional, and scientific methods and narratives have been successful in making precise and consistent date determinations for key events and periods. This combined approach can add important context to the periods in question and inform archaeological interpretations. Here we provide examples of current and future research in the Cook Islands that illustrate the benefits of including diverse temporal data in date determination and chronology construction. We believe this approach can contribute to creating a fuller, more inclusive understanding of the Oceanic past and can lead to new avenues of research.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Paper / Report Submission (General Sessions)   •
• Society for Historical Archaeology 2025

Keywords

Individual & Institutional Roles

Contact(s): Nicole Haddow