Thegn Ladefoged | The University of Auckland (original) (raw)
Papers by Thegn Ladefoged
The Journal of Island and Coastal Archaeology
Journal of the Polynesian Society
At present there is no systematic record of the size, form or density of architecture at Hawaiian... more At present there is no systematic record of the size, form or density of architecture at Hawaiian royal centres. We report on the results of a UAV LiDAR survey of one of the best-preserved examples of a royal centre in the archipelago: Hōlualoa Royal Centre, Kona District, Hawai‘i Island. The resolution of our data (0.3–0.1 m) is far superior to previous airborne LiDAR surveys (1.0 m); however, several factors, including thick understory vegetation, made resolving archaeological targets challenging. We nonetheless were able measure the volume of building material of the largest features, which allows us to compare structures in this royal centre with other monuments in the region. This study highlights the advantages, and limitations, of UAV LiDAR as well as the need for more high-quality quantitative data on architecture at royal centres.
The 86th Annual Meeting of the Society for American Archaeology, 2021
The Growth and Collapse of Pacific Island Societies, 2017
Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports, 2021
Abstract Water diffusion in high silica volcanic melts results in the formation of rhyolite glass... more Abstract Water diffusion in high silica volcanic melts results in the formation of rhyolite glasses where hydroxyls are linked to the silica tetrahedra. Space between these linkages form pathways for the diffusion of molecular water into the glass surface during secondary hydration. The accumulation of water in the near surface forms a water-rich hydration layer that can be converted to time by the application of experimentally derived diffusion coefficients. In this paper, we summarize mechanisms for water diffusion in obsidian and use a diffusion pathway model as the basis for a more detailed understanding of the parameters that control the magnitude of the water diffusion coefficient, its constancy over time, and how the properties of the glass reflect the thermal history experienced during secondary hydration. We evaluate hypotheses about water diffusion in obsidian with new low temperature (140–200 °C) accelerated hydration experiments and present a calibration for the age determination of obsidian artifacts.
Journal of Archaeological Science, 2018
Establishing whether pre-industrial societies caused significant harvesting impacts on fish stock... more Establishing whether pre-industrial societies caused significant harvesting impacts on fish stocks is often hindered by the paucity of historic evidence. Some archaeological assemblages contain information on the sizes and/or species of individuals in the catch, but this does not provide any direct evidence on the absolute size of the catch or comparative metrics. We develop a method for using size-frequency data to infer the intensity of fishing and the size-selectivity of the fishing gear in use. The model allows quantitative estimates to be made for the depletion of snapper populations relative to the unexploited prehuman biomass. We evaluate this method using six modern and five archaeological datasets from northern New Zealand for a key commercial and artisanal species, Australasian snapper or silver seabream (Pagrus auratus). Our method uses two models for the size selectivity of fishing: one S-shaped, representing mobile fishing gear such as trawls or seines, and one dome-shaped, representing static fishing gear, such as hooks, longlines, or gillnets. The results show that the estimated fishing intensity is lower, and the size of fish being caught is larger, in the archaeological datasets than in the modern datasets, as might be expected. Nevertheless, some of the archaeological datasets show evidence that is consistent with substantial resource depression and depletion of the largest fish in the population, while others suggest only light exploitation. The method allows the five archaeological cases to be rank ordered in terms of exploitation pressures and the relative orderings are further assessed using independent information on site chronology, stratigraphy, and recovery procedures (i.e., screen size). Other factors that can affect size-frequency data are briefly considered, but require additional environmental and taphonomic data that are not currently available. The results provided by our new method support the hypothesis that the depletion of large fish and capture of progressively smaller ones occurred in the pre-European era, albeit in spatially localized areas and at a much less severe level than in modern times. The model results also help identify potential biases in the archaeological assemblages and directions for further research.
Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports, 2018
In pre-European contact Hawai'i, flooded irrigated agricultural systems were developed in wet win... more In pre-European contact Hawai'i, flooded irrigated agricultural systems were developed in wet windward areas with rain-fed dryland systems dominating leeward zones. In select areas lacking sufficient rainfall for dryland production, irrigation from intermittent streams would have been a viable alternative. A number of intermittent irrigated agricultural systems have been recorded in leeward Hawaiian locations, with the ca. 33 km 2 Waimea Field System being the most extensive. We use computational fluid dynamics modelling within a digital elevation model based on high resolution terrestrial laser scanning data to investigate intermittent irrigation within a 2.4 ha study area of the Waimea Field System. The analysis documents variation within channels and terraces. Some channels are gradual downslope ditches with the potential to irrigate large areas via garden plot flow through. Feeding off of these ditches are channels running parallel to slope with constrained flows of higher velocity that fed lower terraces without depositing water on upper terraces. The system also included channels running along the front of terraces that redirected flows horizontally across slope by collecting excess water. Terraces varied in terms of the amount of water that they could receive. Many terraces received moderate volumes of water, whereas select terraces in the valley bottom received much higher volumes and were probably used to grow water demanding crops. Other terraces were not fed by channels and were probably used for rainfed agriculture or residential purposes. Documenting variation within this small section of the Waimea field system provides an understanding of diverse agricultural practices and how these were used for subsistence and surplus production.
American Antiquity, 2016
Much attention has been paid to the role of increased food production in the development of socia... more Much attention has been paid to the role of increased food production in the development of social complexity. However, increased food production is only one kind of agricultural process, and some changes in agronomic practices were geared toward stabilizing production or counteracting periodic shortfalls. The intersection between these latter strategies and sociopolitical development are poorly understood, while the long-term value of risk management strategies is often hypothesized but empirically not well demonstrated. We address these issues using recent archaeological data from the Samoan Archipelago, Polynesia. We investigate variability in, and the development of, one type of agricultural infrastructure: ditch- and-parcel complexes. In the context of Samoa’s high-volume rainfall, recurrent cyclones, and steep topography, these novel risk management facilities offered production stability and, by extension, long-term selective benefits to both emergent elites and the general p...
Archaeology in Oceania, 2015
ABSTRACTThe duration and mode of occupation of pre‐European Māori living in northern New Zealand ... more ABSTRACTThe duration and mode of occupation of pre‐European Māori living in northern New Zealand was influenced by their subsistence strategies. Our analysis of the surface archaeological remains on Ahuahu (Great Mercury Island, Coromandel) examines how communities practiced horticulture and interacted with their local ecological and social environments through mobility, storage and competition. Focusing on a 300 ha study area in the northern quarter of the island, we use a multi‐scalar land‐unit (LU) approach to categorize the landscape as a continuously varying phenomenon with multiple characteristics. Our results suggest that the largest concentrations of horticultural features were located in areas with high sunlight exposure (insolation), good soils, low slopes and stream access. This patterning indicates that specific areas were probably being targeted for horticultural production, although differential feature preservation and visibility must also be considered. The spatial o...
Journal of Open Archaeology Data, 2019
Temporal coverage Collections include artefacts that may date from the initial settlement by the ... more Temporal coverage Collections include artefacts that may date from the initial settlement by the ancestors of Māori around AD 1280 through the period of regular contact with Europeans after AD 1850. (2) Methods Each artefact was assessed mid-z elements (Nb, Rb, Y, Zr, Sr) and other elements (Fe, Mg) using a pXRF and then matched to a geochemically distinct natural source of obsidian. Geographically ambiguous source assignments, such as assignment to a general volcanic zone, were not included. We note that out of the 15 known geochemically distinct natural sources of New Zealand obsidian [12], only 13 have been identified in archaeological collections. Steps The two university laboratories that produced this data each specified procedures in a series of publications. The specific lab protocols and machines used evolved over this period and so readers are directed to original studies for a fuller description. Examples of methods for Bruker pXRF, a type used in both laboratories, is summarised below.
R apa Nui (Easter Island) is often depicted as a microcosm for world ecosystem disaster (Diamond ... more R apa Nui (Easter Island) is often depicted as a microcosm for world ecosystem disaster (Diamond 2004; Kirch 2004; Flenley and Bahn 2002). The island is thought to have been settled around AD 700 and by ca. AD 1150 the population had risen to the point where descent groups were defining territorial units focused around spectacular ceremonial platforms and statues (Kirch 1984; Skj¢lsvold 1994; Stevenson 2002). Pollen changes have been interpreted as evidence for deforestation as early as AD 750, and between AD 950 and AD 1400 it is thought that virtually the entire island was cleared as a result of widespread agricultural development to meet the demands of increasingly competitive chiefdoms (Flenley and Bahn 2002). Some researchers suggest that this deforestation led to massive physical erosion and extreme environmental degradation (see for example Diamond 2004; Flenley and Bahn 2002; Kirch 1984,2000,2004; Mieth and Bork 2004; Rolett and Diamond 2004). As a result, it has been propos...
... more ...
Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports, 2021
Abstract Although aerial lidar has proven to be a powerful tool for mapping archaeological landsc... more Abstract Although aerial lidar has proven to be a powerful tool for mapping archaeological landscapes, particularly in forested regions of the world, the high costs of conventional lidar acquisition from aircraft or professional-grade drones remains a hurdle to many researchers. The recent development of ultra-compact, relatively low-cost lidar mapping systems that can be deployed on consumer-grade drones now make it feasible for archaeologists to collect their own high-resolution aerial lidar of sites and landscapes, but the efficacy of these systems remains largely untested. This paper presents results of surveys undertaken using a ultra-compact, drone-deployed lidar at archaeological sites located in three different environments: 1) tropical forests at Kealakekua Bay State Historic Park, Hawai’i, 2) pinon-juniper forest on Mesa Verde’s North Escarpment, Colorado, and 3) mixed deciduous-evergreen forest at Enfield Shaker Village, New Hampshire. Results reveal a wealth of archaeological features at the three study sites and demonstrate the potential of drone-based lidar as a tool in archaeological prospection, but also illustrate some of the significant technical and practical challenges involved in making use of this exciting emerging technology.
PLOS ONE, 2019
After publication of this article [1], a concern was raised regarding the fifth sentence in the l... more After publication of this article [1], a concern was raised regarding the fifth sentence in the last paragraph in the Introduction section. That sentence is as follows: "The first documented movement of a chicken between two domestication centres was in 1400 BC when Chinese monks brought a chicken home from India [12]." This information was cited as originating from a 1913 paper by John Peters [2, reference 12 in the original article]. However, the identity of the human agents of transport (i.e. Chinese Monks) was not included in [2] and was taken from another source. The oft-cited information regarding the transfer of chickens in 1400 BC found in many sources (e.g., [3-7]) is all related directly to work by Charles Darwin [8]. It was in The Variation of Plants and Animals Under Domestication (Vol 1) where Darwin stated: "Mr. Birch of the British Museum, has translated for me passages from a Chinese Encyclopaedia published in 1609, but compiled from more ancient documents, in which it is said that fowls are creatures of the West, and were introduced to the East (i.e. China) in a dynasty 1400 B.C. Whatever may be thought of so ancient a date, we see that the Indo-Chinese and Indian regions were formally considered by the Chinese as a source of domestic fowl." It appears that later references to this date, typically without attribution to Darwin, sometimes included embellishments. For example, Brown [6] in his book Poultry Breeding and Production (Vol 1) wrote "[t]he statement has been made that Buddhist priests passed from India to China about B.C. 1,500, and that they conveyed the fowl, already domesticated in the former Country, to the Celestial Empire." Significantly, Brown went on to write "[i]t would appear that the first compulsory migration of the fowl was eastward, that is, to China, where, be it noted, the practice of husbandry was anterior by millenniums to that of western nations." As a result the fifth sentence in the last paragraph of the Introduction section should be revised to: "The first documented movement of chickens between two domestication centres is asserted to have been 1400 BC [Darwin, C (1868). The variation of animals and plants under domestication.]." The authors apologize for omitting the attribution specifically related to the identification of Chinese monks in the published article.
Journal of Anthropological Archaeology, 2019
In the landmark book Māori Warfare, Vayda (1960) used oral traditions and historical documents to... more In the landmark book Māori Warfare, Vayda (1960) used oral traditions and historical documents to characterize conflict in New Zealand as a cycle of fights over prime agricultural lands driven by population pressure. We examine the archaeological evidence for when Māori warfare took on the character described by Vayda, specifically when were there fortifications across the landscape leaving few opportunities for expansion to unfortified lands to counter food-shortages. We present a critical review of research relevant to the nature and motivations of conflict and the results of excavations we conducted in the Bay of Islands region. We find that Vayda's cycle of warfare is first evident around AD 1650, more than a century after the first fortifications were constructed in AD 1500. Explaining the origins of conflict requires a more nuanced model of environmental, cultural, and historical factors that shaped the degree and frequency of conflict.
The Journal of Island and Coastal Archaeology
Journal of the Polynesian Society
At present there is no systematic record of the size, form or density of architecture at Hawaiian... more At present there is no systematic record of the size, form or density of architecture at Hawaiian royal centres. We report on the results of a UAV LiDAR survey of one of the best-preserved examples of a royal centre in the archipelago: Hōlualoa Royal Centre, Kona District, Hawai‘i Island. The resolution of our data (0.3–0.1 m) is far superior to previous airborne LiDAR surveys (1.0 m); however, several factors, including thick understory vegetation, made resolving archaeological targets challenging. We nonetheless were able measure the volume of building material of the largest features, which allows us to compare structures in this royal centre with other monuments in the region. This study highlights the advantages, and limitations, of UAV LiDAR as well as the need for more high-quality quantitative data on architecture at royal centres.
The 86th Annual Meeting of the Society for American Archaeology, 2021
The Growth and Collapse of Pacific Island Societies, 2017
Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports, 2021
Abstract Water diffusion in high silica volcanic melts results in the formation of rhyolite glass... more Abstract Water diffusion in high silica volcanic melts results in the formation of rhyolite glasses where hydroxyls are linked to the silica tetrahedra. Space between these linkages form pathways for the diffusion of molecular water into the glass surface during secondary hydration. The accumulation of water in the near surface forms a water-rich hydration layer that can be converted to time by the application of experimentally derived diffusion coefficients. In this paper, we summarize mechanisms for water diffusion in obsidian and use a diffusion pathway model as the basis for a more detailed understanding of the parameters that control the magnitude of the water diffusion coefficient, its constancy over time, and how the properties of the glass reflect the thermal history experienced during secondary hydration. We evaluate hypotheses about water diffusion in obsidian with new low temperature (140–200 °C) accelerated hydration experiments and present a calibration for the age determination of obsidian artifacts.
Journal of Archaeological Science, 2018
Establishing whether pre-industrial societies caused significant harvesting impacts on fish stock... more Establishing whether pre-industrial societies caused significant harvesting impacts on fish stocks is often hindered by the paucity of historic evidence. Some archaeological assemblages contain information on the sizes and/or species of individuals in the catch, but this does not provide any direct evidence on the absolute size of the catch or comparative metrics. We develop a method for using size-frequency data to infer the intensity of fishing and the size-selectivity of the fishing gear in use. The model allows quantitative estimates to be made for the depletion of snapper populations relative to the unexploited prehuman biomass. We evaluate this method using six modern and five archaeological datasets from northern New Zealand for a key commercial and artisanal species, Australasian snapper or silver seabream (Pagrus auratus). Our method uses two models for the size selectivity of fishing: one S-shaped, representing mobile fishing gear such as trawls or seines, and one dome-shaped, representing static fishing gear, such as hooks, longlines, or gillnets. The results show that the estimated fishing intensity is lower, and the size of fish being caught is larger, in the archaeological datasets than in the modern datasets, as might be expected. Nevertheless, some of the archaeological datasets show evidence that is consistent with substantial resource depression and depletion of the largest fish in the population, while others suggest only light exploitation. The method allows the five archaeological cases to be rank ordered in terms of exploitation pressures and the relative orderings are further assessed using independent information on site chronology, stratigraphy, and recovery procedures (i.e., screen size). Other factors that can affect size-frequency data are briefly considered, but require additional environmental and taphonomic data that are not currently available. The results provided by our new method support the hypothesis that the depletion of large fish and capture of progressively smaller ones occurred in the pre-European era, albeit in spatially localized areas and at a much less severe level than in modern times. The model results also help identify potential biases in the archaeological assemblages and directions for further research.
Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports, 2018
In pre-European contact Hawai'i, flooded irrigated agricultural systems were developed in wet win... more In pre-European contact Hawai'i, flooded irrigated agricultural systems were developed in wet windward areas with rain-fed dryland systems dominating leeward zones. In select areas lacking sufficient rainfall for dryland production, irrigation from intermittent streams would have been a viable alternative. A number of intermittent irrigated agricultural systems have been recorded in leeward Hawaiian locations, with the ca. 33 km 2 Waimea Field System being the most extensive. We use computational fluid dynamics modelling within a digital elevation model based on high resolution terrestrial laser scanning data to investigate intermittent irrigation within a 2.4 ha study area of the Waimea Field System. The analysis documents variation within channels and terraces. Some channels are gradual downslope ditches with the potential to irrigate large areas via garden plot flow through. Feeding off of these ditches are channels running parallel to slope with constrained flows of higher velocity that fed lower terraces without depositing water on upper terraces. The system also included channels running along the front of terraces that redirected flows horizontally across slope by collecting excess water. Terraces varied in terms of the amount of water that they could receive. Many terraces received moderate volumes of water, whereas select terraces in the valley bottom received much higher volumes and were probably used to grow water demanding crops. Other terraces were not fed by channels and were probably used for rainfed agriculture or residential purposes. Documenting variation within this small section of the Waimea field system provides an understanding of diverse agricultural practices and how these were used for subsistence and surplus production.
American Antiquity, 2016
Much attention has been paid to the role of increased food production in the development of socia... more Much attention has been paid to the role of increased food production in the development of social complexity. However, increased food production is only one kind of agricultural process, and some changes in agronomic practices were geared toward stabilizing production or counteracting periodic shortfalls. The intersection between these latter strategies and sociopolitical development are poorly understood, while the long-term value of risk management strategies is often hypothesized but empirically not well demonstrated. We address these issues using recent archaeological data from the Samoan Archipelago, Polynesia. We investigate variability in, and the development of, one type of agricultural infrastructure: ditch- and-parcel complexes. In the context of Samoa’s high-volume rainfall, recurrent cyclones, and steep topography, these novel risk management facilities offered production stability and, by extension, long-term selective benefits to both emergent elites and the general p...
Archaeology in Oceania, 2015
ABSTRACTThe duration and mode of occupation of pre‐European Māori living in northern New Zealand ... more ABSTRACTThe duration and mode of occupation of pre‐European Māori living in northern New Zealand was influenced by their subsistence strategies. Our analysis of the surface archaeological remains on Ahuahu (Great Mercury Island, Coromandel) examines how communities practiced horticulture and interacted with their local ecological and social environments through mobility, storage and competition. Focusing on a 300 ha study area in the northern quarter of the island, we use a multi‐scalar land‐unit (LU) approach to categorize the landscape as a continuously varying phenomenon with multiple characteristics. Our results suggest that the largest concentrations of horticultural features were located in areas with high sunlight exposure (insolation), good soils, low slopes and stream access. This patterning indicates that specific areas were probably being targeted for horticultural production, although differential feature preservation and visibility must also be considered. The spatial o...
Journal of Open Archaeology Data, 2019
Temporal coverage Collections include artefacts that may date from the initial settlement by the ... more Temporal coverage Collections include artefacts that may date from the initial settlement by the ancestors of Māori around AD 1280 through the period of regular contact with Europeans after AD 1850. (2) Methods Each artefact was assessed mid-z elements (Nb, Rb, Y, Zr, Sr) and other elements (Fe, Mg) using a pXRF and then matched to a geochemically distinct natural source of obsidian. Geographically ambiguous source assignments, such as assignment to a general volcanic zone, were not included. We note that out of the 15 known geochemically distinct natural sources of New Zealand obsidian [12], only 13 have been identified in archaeological collections. Steps The two university laboratories that produced this data each specified procedures in a series of publications. The specific lab protocols and machines used evolved over this period and so readers are directed to original studies for a fuller description. Examples of methods for Bruker pXRF, a type used in both laboratories, is summarised below.
R apa Nui (Easter Island) is often depicted as a microcosm for world ecosystem disaster (Diamond ... more R apa Nui (Easter Island) is often depicted as a microcosm for world ecosystem disaster (Diamond 2004; Kirch 2004; Flenley and Bahn 2002). The island is thought to have been settled around AD 700 and by ca. AD 1150 the population had risen to the point where descent groups were defining territorial units focused around spectacular ceremonial platforms and statues (Kirch 1984; Skj¢lsvold 1994; Stevenson 2002). Pollen changes have been interpreted as evidence for deforestation as early as AD 750, and between AD 950 and AD 1400 it is thought that virtually the entire island was cleared as a result of widespread agricultural development to meet the demands of increasingly competitive chiefdoms (Flenley and Bahn 2002). Some researchers suggest that this deforestation led to massive physical erosion and extreme environmental degradation (see for example Diamond 2004; Flenley and Bahn 2002; Kirch 1984,2000,2004; Mieth and Bork 2004; Rolett and Diamond 2004). As a result, it has been propos...
... more ...
Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports, 2021
Abstract Although aerial lidar has proven to be a powerful tool for mapping archaeological landsc... more Abstract Although aerial lidar has proven to be a powerful tool for mapping archaeological landscapes, particularly in forested regions of the world, the high costs of conventional lidar acquisition from aircraft or professional-grade drones remains a hurdle to many researchers. The recent development of ultra-compact, relatively low-cost lidar mapping systems that can be deployed on consumer-grade drones now make it feasible for archaeologists to collect their own high-resolution aerial lidar of sites and landscapes, but the efficacy of these systems remains largely untested. This paper presents results of surveys undertaken using a ultra-compact, drone-deployed lidar at archaeological sites located in three different environments: 1) tropical forests at Kealakekua Bay State Historic Park, Hawai’i, 2) pinon-juniper forest on Mesa Verde’s North Escarpment, Colorado, and 3) mixed deciduous-evergreen forest at Enfield Shaker Village, New Hampshire. Results reveal a wealth of archaeological features at the three study sites and demonstrate the potential of drone-based lidar as a tool in archaeological prospection, but also illustrate some of the significant technical and practical challenges involved in making use of this exciting emerging technology.
PLOS ONE, 2019
After publication of this article [1], a concern was raised regarding the fifth sentence in the l... more After publication of this article [1], a concern was raised regarding the fifth sentence in the last paragraph in the Introduction section. That sentence is as follows: "The first documented movement of a chicken between two domestication centres was in 1400 BC when Chinese monks brought a chicken home from India [12]." This information was cited as originating from a 1913 paper by John Peters [2, reference 12 in the original article]. However, the identity of the human agents of transport (i.e. Chinese Monks) was not included in [2] and was taken from another source. The oft-cited information regarding the transfer of chickens in 1400 BC found in many sources (e.g., [3-7]) is all related directly to work by Charles Darwin [8]. It was in The Variation of Plants and Animals Under Domestication (Vol 1) where Darwin stated: "Mr. Birch of the British Museum, has translated for me passages from a Chinese Encyclopaedia published in 1609, but compiled from more ancient documents, in which it is said that fowls are creatures of the West, and were introduced to the East (i.e. China) in a dynasty 1400 B.C. Whatever may be thought of so ancient a date, we see that the Indo-Chinese and Indian regions were formally considered by the Chinese as a source of domestic fowl." It appears that later references to this date, typically without attribution to Darwin, sometimes included embellishments. For example, Brown [6] in his book Poultry Breeding and Production (Vol 1) wrote "[t]he statement has been made that Buddhist priests passed from India to China about B.C. 1,500, and that they conveyed the fowl, already domesticated in the former Country, to the Celestial Empire." Significantly, Brown went on to write "[i]t would appear that the first compulsory migration of the fowl was eastward, that is, to China, where, be it noted, the practice of husbandry was anterior by millenniums to that of western nations." As a result the fifth sentence in the last paragraph of the Introduction section should be revised to: "The first documented movement of chickens between two domestication centres is asserted to have been 1400 BC [Darwin, C (1868). The variation of animals and plants under domestication.]." The authors apologize for omitting the attribution specifically related to the identification of Chinese monks in the published article.
Journal of Anthropological Archaeology, 2019
In the landmark book Māori Warfare, Vayda (1960) used oral traditions and historical documents to... more In the landmark book Māori Warfare, Vayda (1960) used oral traditions and historical documents to characterize conflict in New Zealand as a cycle of fights over prime agricultural lands driven by population pressure. We examine the archaeological evidence for when Māori warfare took on the character described by Vayda, specifically when were there fortifications across the landscape leaving few opportunities for expansion to unfortified lands to counter food-shortages. We present a critical review of research relevant to the nature and motivations of conflict and the results of excavations we conducted in the Bay of Islands region. We find that Vayda's cycle of warfare is first evident around AD 1650, more than a century after the first fortifications were constructed in AD 1500. Explaining the origins of conflict requires a more nuanced model of environmental, cultural, and historical factors that shaped the degree and frequency of conflict.
The resilience and revitalisation of taro/kalo agriculture in the Hawaiian contact period is anal... more The resilience and revitalisation of taro/kalo agriculture in the Hawaiian contact period is analysed in the Waipi’o Valley, on the big island of Hawai’i. Historic work has demonstrated the effects of colonial contact on the people of Waipi’o. Documents from the Mähele period, census information and missionary records were combined to paint a picture of how life unfolded in the Waipi‘o Valley. What is alluded to, and yet unexplored, is the changing production system and an overall trend of decreasing and fluctuating wetland taro production, where traditional cultivation is transformed by the introduction of rice farming. Later in time this too fades out, where taro then again becomes dominant. Interestingly, wetland taro cultivation in Waipi’o is still practiced today, with interest in revitalizing the capacity of a once intensively cultivated valley. Here, the impact of rice, and other crop introductions, is explored in terms of revitalising these wetland traditions. This was done by generating ‘snapshots’ of the Waipi’o landscape through time. Information detailing traditional owners, plot locations and pond-field metrics were derived from digitized historic survey maps, and modern remote sensing techniques such as high resolution LiDAR (Light detection and ranging) imagery. Combining this information not only catalogued the historic trend of declining wetland irrigation, but directly illustrates the influence of past agri-choices on modern wetland revitalization agendas.
Teaching geospatial technology during archaeology field schools provides students with a number o... more Teaching geospatial technology during archaeology field schools provides students with a number of skills that supplement those traditionally taught. Increasingly, students are both familiar and competent with computing and geospatial interfaces (e.g. Google Earth). Focusing on training students in use of instruments to record spatial data in archaeological survey and excavation, and data management through ArcGIS, provides a valuable skill set. Teaching these skills also meets the desire of a research project to practice common methods of data acquisition that preserve data integrity and uniformity, and develop a best practice for data management. Acquiring and managing spatial data on an archaeological project is often the job of specialists, however, integration of students into the data acquisition phase of the field work ensures students are familiar with the structure of such data sets when they carry out subsequent individual research projects. A case study from The University of Auckland archaeology field school taught on Ahuahu Great Mercury Island is presented to highlight developing methods for teaching geospatial technology.