An early fishhook assemblage from Ofu and Olosega islands, Manu'a Group, American Samoa: implications for technological evolution and cultural interaction (Quintus and Clark 2020, Archaeology in Oceania))

Summary

Marine resources are integral to the subsistence of coastal populations in Oceania and have been since the islands were first settled. While items of fishing gear, most notably fishhooks, are found throughout the Pacific, they are not as common as one might think. Fishhooks are in fact noticeably uncommon in the Central Pacific, for example. Consequently, the various types of analyses of fishhook morphology, particularly the types of line attachment devices, that have been carried out on East Polynesian assemblages have not been possible for

West Polynesian sites. Using a large collection of fishhooks from three sites on Ofu and Olosega islands in the Manu‘a Group of American Samoa, we present a detailed analysis of a large combined assemblage and compare the data collected to those from other islands and island groups in the region. We show that the hooks reflect exploitation emphasising inshore environments, and that angling as a fish capture method is likely to vary in intensity based on local environmental variability. Moreover, we illustrate how these fishhooks constitute a means of assessing both early cultural contacts and cultural variability in the Central Pacific.

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Contact(s): Seth Quintus