An Ancestral Polynesian occupation site at To'aga, Ofu Island, American Samoa

Abstract

AbstractExcavations in a deeply stratified coastal site at To'aga, Ofu Island, in the Manu'a group of American Samoa, yielded evidence of human occupation spanning the entire Samoan cultural sequence. The earliest deposits, dated to 3700–3300 BP, may represent a Lapita Period occupation, although the present sample is very limited. An Ancestral Polynesian phase, dated from 2500–1900 BP, is well attested, with abundant Polynesian Plainware ceramics, simple one‐piece fishhooks, and other artifacts and associated faunal materials. Aceramic deposits, dated after 1900 BP, are also present. A model for the geomorphological evolution of the site, incorporating sea level change and the effects of human impact on the landscape, is presented.