Experts from the University of Chile investigate vestiges in remote Polynesian island

Although little is known of Rai’vavae, it is presumed that it could be one of thepossible routes that Polynesians took to the discovery of Rapa Nui and possibly on to South America.

Archeologists from the University of Chile’s Institute for Easter Island Studies and members of the Eastern Pacific Research Foundation, recently returned from an expedition to Ra’ivavae Island located in the Australs archipelago, about 700 km to the Southeast of Tahiti.  The expedition, conducted by archaeologists Patricia Vargas, Edmundo Edwards and Claudio Cristino assisted by Margarita Riroroko, was to investigate the origin of human migration patterns in Polynesia and search for early sites on this remote Polynesian outpost.

With a population of less than 1,000 inhabitants, Ra’ivavae, a small volcanic island of only 18 square kilometers and surrounded by reefs of coral and with an extensive inner lagoon, is one of the most beautiful, remote and archaeologically unknown locations in the region. Their volcanic mountains of up to 400 meters preserve numerous old ancient sites and ruins, covered by dense vegetation.

Although little is archaeologically known of the island, its geographic position, the winds and sea currents suggest it is located in one of the possible Polynesian routes that was taken to the discovery and colonization of Easter Island and also on to South America, 500 years before Columbus.

The investigators associated with the Eastern Pacific Research Foundation that is supporting the project, returned to Ra’ivavae after 15 years, with sophisticated computing technology, satellite GPS support and the latest maps, developed together with the cartographers at the Roberto Izaurieta Institute, to locate and thoroughly study some of the archaeological sites already documented, in their untiring search of the origins of the human groups that populated that island and mythical Rapa Nui a millennium ago.

During the expedition, many sites were examined and tested.  Test pits excavated on the old beach, to a meter of depth, indicated evidence of an ancient human occupation.

Among the most significant findings were fragments of pearl shell hooks and a polished basalt adze, associated with small pits and charcoal. Tools of the same type were recovered in other islands of Polynesia and excavations in sands of the Anakena beach, on Easter Island and dated to about 1000-1200 AD.  The context of similar artifacts in other islands of the Austral archipelago, suggest an early occupation near 1000 AD or before, “so more likely the Rai’vavae site is older, indicating settlement that is close in time or even previous to Rapa Nui”, said Prof. Vargas. She added that a compositional analysis of the tools and tracking back the stone to possible sources in the area will allow the team to establish the extent of interaction and interchange among other islands in the past as has been done for islands like Pitcairn, Mangareva and Henderson.

“These results are extraordinarily significant and it is hoped to extend the investigations in a new expedition programmed for 2006”, concluded the team.

This expedition, concluded days before Christmas, corresponds to the first stage of a series of studies that these researchers, with the support and sponsorship of the Ministry of Culture, local cultural associations of French Polynesia and the Eastern Pacific Research Foundation will continue and expand in the near future.

Adapted from www.uchile.cl

Thursday 29 of December of 2005