Rapa Nui Journal: Journal of the Easter Island Foundation Volume 17 Article 2 Issue 2 October

2003 Archaeological Investigations at the Pulemelei Mound, Savai'i, Helene Martinsson-Wallin The Kon-Tiki Museum, Oslo, Norway

Geoffrey Clark

Paul Wallin

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Recommended Citation Martinsson-Wallin, Helene; Clark, Geoffrey; and Wallin, Paul (2003) "Archaeological Investigations at the Pulemelei Mound, Savai'i, Samoa," Rapa Nui Journal: Journal of the Easter Island Foundation: Vol. 17 : Iss. 2 , Article 2. Available at: https://kahualike.manoa.hawaii.edu/rnj/vol17/iss2/2

This Research Paper is brought to you for free and open access by the University of Hawai`i Press at Kahualike. It has been accepted for inclusion in Rapa Nui Journal: Journal of the Easter Island Foundation by an authorized editor of Kahualike. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Martinsson-Wallin et al.: Archaeological Investigations at the Pulemelei Mound ARCHAEOLOGICAL INVESTIGATIONS AT THE PULEMELEI MOUND, SAVAI'I, SAMOA

HeLene Martinsson-Wallin, Geoffrey CLark and PauL Wallin Kon-Tiki Museum and AustraLian NationaL University

BACKGROUND The i lands of the Samoan group (Figure 1) were formed by volcanic activity and are es entially mountains and ridge of rchaeological investigations began in Samoa in 1957 erupted rock itting on the Pacific Plate. Eruptions have been A when Jack Gol on excavated some ettlements and ongoing and the south and north coa t of Savai'i are now cov­ mound on ' (Green and David on 1969:3). In the 1960s, ered by lava, which probably destroyed or made many archaeo­ Roger Green initiated an archaeological investigation program logical site inacce ib1e. The rapid rate of island subsidence on Western Samoa (Green and David on 1969,1974 Green calculated by Dickin on and Green (1998) at 1.4 mm/year sug­ 2002: I 25-152). These projects were followed by a research gests that the oldest sites in Samoa might well be 4 m below program inaugurated by Jesse D. Jennings (and others) from their original position relative to sea level. 1974 to 1977 (Jennings et al 1976, Jenning and Holmer 1980, In recent year most of the archaeological activities have Jennings et aJ. 1982). concentrated on (Hunt and Kirch 1988, Kirch and Hunt 1993, Clark and Herdrich 1993, Clark and SAVA"I Michlovic 1996, Clark et aI. 1997, Ayres et aJ. 2001, Suafo'a 2001, Taomia 2001). Previous and current research on Fiji­ UApolima Tonga-American Samoa has broadened the knowledge of the "~UPOLU Manono • prehi tory of the central Pacific but Savai'i, as it was 20 year 4°5 ago, i very much an archaeological "no man's land" (see a re­ Olu ...,OJosega cent summery on Samoan archaeology by Green 2002: 125­ SAMOA ~ Aunu'u D Ta'u 152.) AMERICAN SAMOA j EXCAVATIO SAT PULEMELEI MOUND

172°W 171" 170" The aim of renewed work at Pulemelei in 2002 was to improve Figure I. Map of the . the archaeological understanding of prehi toric development on Savai'i by investigating the origin and development of monu­ The re earch projects mainly concentrated their efforts on mental architecture. The Pulemelei mound and urrounding the i land of 'Upolu, plu orne limited re earch on Savai'i, and tructures appear not to have been recorded in traditional hi ­ the i let of Manono and . The fIr t Lapita site wa tory, but archaeological investigations of mounds on 'Upolu found underwater on the northwest coast at (dated to and American Samoa suggest construction and use of mounds ca 800 Be), with mounds and settlements excavated at other during the period AD 1000 to AD 1600 (Jennings and Holmer location. No prehistoric site on Savai'i were excavated, but 1980:5-10, Kirch 2000:219-229). Very little is known of the some were urveyed and mapped, such as in the Letolo area temporal context and function of field monuments (Herdrich (Jenning et aJ. 1982:87-92). 199] :381-434), and investigations should provide new knowl­ The Letolo survey was in the Letolo plantation on the edge about the e important archaeological ites and the devel­ southea t of Savai'i. Some 3000 feature were recorded, in­ opment of complex societies in central Pacific. cluding monumental platforms, mound, earth ovens, Matautu Bay wall and walkways, which were urveyed by G. SAVAI'I ISLAND Jackmond from the Peace Corp in the early 1970s. A maJl- cale map of the exten ive urvey was published by Jenning et aI. (1982:88). A central point at the Le­ tolo ite i the enormou tepped platform called Pule­ melei (al 0 known as Tia Seu), which i thought to be the large t prehi toric stone tructure in . Green, Davidson and Scott vi ited the site in 1967 and a map of the mound was made (Scott 1969:80). Archaeological knowledge of Samoa has centered largely on 'Upolu and the smaller i lands of American 10 16 kin Samoa. Relatively little i known about Savai'i although 1-----'-_...... _-'. Apollma Is. in land area it is the largest in the archipelago (1,820 o 2 \) Manono Is km ) and according to traditional information it was an important political center in late prehistory. Figure 2. Map of Savai 'i (investigation area at Letolo plantation indicated).

Rapa Nui Journal 81 Vol. 17 (2) October 2003 Published by Kahualike, 2003 1 Rapa Nui Journal: Journal of the Easter Island Foundation, Vol. 17 [2003], Iss. 2, Art. 2 . structed with a base platform and three platforms on top of I I each other. The base platform of volcanic stones was about 0.6 I I I m high and it appears to be built on vertically placed founda­ 0,9: tion stones with earth fill behind the foundation tone. On top !t of the foundation stones was a ba e platform made of volcanic ;!' :,>' stone around 2 to 3 m high (the height varie on the outh and ", north edge) with vertical or slightly loping sidewall. On top on this was a platform made of volcanic tone around 3 to 6 m high (the height varies on the outh and north edge) with lop­ L/\ : UJ: ." ing sidewalls. The top platform wa 1.1 m high and had verti­ cal sides and was also made from volcanic tone with maxi­ (~ mum dimensions of 44 m by 34 m. The top platform urface I was level and paved with rounded tream stone about 5 to 15 IL I " SS-Lo-2 cm in greatest length. More than 40 stone cairns were found o :-----1I distributed on the top platform. The e cairn may be of a very recent origin since there are only 10 recorded in Scott's 1965 map (1969:80) and local informants reported that stone piles idI I were built when the mound was cleared of vegetation. PULEMELEI CommunIty Pattern : 0 :OlOCKIJ TEST EXCAVATION AND RESULTS ILoe" II

Nine test-pits (TP 1-9, I m x 1m) were placed on the ground Figure 3_ Map of Puleme1ei and urrounding structures (from Scott 1969, Figure 42). around the sides of the structure with a larger te t trench (Trench 1, 2 m x 4 m) on the outh edge. The test trench was placed where an intact part of the base platform had urvived The archaeological inve tigation at Pulemelei mound on collap e because it was protected by a stone ramp, which in the Letolo plantation on Savai'i (Figure 2 and 3) is a collabo­ turn buttressed the ba e platform on either side of the ramp. A rative project between the landowner of the Nelson Plantation preliminary investigation of the structure of the top platform Inc, the Kon-Tiki Museum, 0 10, Norway (Drs. Martins on­ was made when the removal of roots from a large tree expo ed Wallin and Wallin), the Australian National Univer ity, Can­ the sub-face material to a depth of 80 cm. berra, Australia (Dr. Clark), and The National Univer ity of The excavations recovered charcoal from all pits and the Samoa (Dr. A ofou So'o). Work at Pulemelei took place be­ trench. Fragments and dispersed charcoal were frequently tween the 13 th September and 11 th October 2002. Archaeolo­ found at of about 20 cm to 40 cm below the ground urface gi t in the field were Drs. Wallin and Clark plus twenty men (Figure 5b). It is possible that the charcoal represents initial from the nearby Vailoa village who were employed as field clearing and burning during the building phase or po t­ a i tant , aided by the foreman of the Letolo plantation, Mr. construction vegetation clearance. In one of the test pits (TP I) as well a in the larger trench (Trench 1), we found prehi toric earth ovens (umu) at the same depth as the scattered char­ coal and Test Pit 3 also contained a char­ coal concentration (Figure 5a). The ov­ ens contained charcoal and fife-cracked volcanic stones, but no other faunal nor artifactual finds were observed. The ov­ en are clearly the result of activity car­ ried out in close proximity to the truc­ ture, perhap during the initial con truc- Figure 4. Pulemelei mound after clearing in September 2002. tion pha e, but the origin of the cattered charcoal is less certain. In addition a Aiolupo. The purpose of the preliminary work was to expo e charcoal concentration from the hole excavated to remove tree the mound so that a new map could be made in order to a ess roots on the top platform allowed us to date use of the top plat­ the degree of structural degeneration in the 37 year since it form and to compare the re ult with dates for oven u e and wa la t mapped, and to allow detailed description of the other charcoal producing event near the ba e of the Pulemelei mound. Test excavations were planned to obtain samples for mound. radiocarbon dating and to examine the construction sequence. Another important find was two ceramic herd from TP After the mound was cleared it was measured and found 3 and TP 5, both on the we t side of the structure. The e are to have base dimensions of ca 65 m x 60 m with a maximum the fif t ceramic sherds found on Savai'i apart from recent di ­ height above the ground urface of about 12 m on the south covery of pottery at Siutu village by Japanese archaeologists edge and 7 m along the north edge (Figure 4). It was con- (Ishimura personal communication) The sherd from TP 3 was

Rapa Nui Journal 82 Vol. 17 (2) October 2003 https://kahualike.manoa.hawaii.edu/rnj/vol17/iss2/2 2 Martinsson-Wallin et al.: Archaeological Investigations at the Pulemelei Mound Figure 6. Table of dated radiocarbon samples I Lab no Location Depth, IMaterial 13C/12C Ratio Conventional Calibrated AD provenance Radiocarbon 2 sigma ageBP Beta-172927 Test pit 3 40 cm, charcoal Charcoal -27.50/00 850±50 1040-1270 concentration

Beta-I72928 Trench I 40 cm, from Charcoal -26.10/00 1250±100 620-1000 earth oven

Beta-I77607 Test pit 6 10-20 cm, cat- Charcoal -26.60/00 660±80 1230-1420 tered charcoal

ANU-11890 Top platform 60 cm, under flat Charcoal -24.0±-2.0 31O±90 1420-1690 stone below tree root ANU-11891 Test pit 1 40 cm, from Charcoal -24.0±-2.0 780±120 1020-1400 earth oven

found at ca 40 cm depth in a yellow-brown fine silty-clay be ide stone of the tructure were expo ed. The foundation consisted a mall charcoal concentration. The other herd wa found on of vertical tanding stone slabs with three standing side by side the top of the TP 5 spoil heap. Since it was found on the top of uncovered in Trench 1. It appeared that behind these foundation the pile, it probably came from the bottom of the excavation (ca stones wa a deposit of earth fill. An umu was found about 2 m 50-60 cm depth). distant of, and at the arne level as the bottom of the foundations The umu charcoal in TP 1 has a conventional radiocarbon tones. A charcoal sample from the umu has an age to 1250 age of 780 ± 120 BP (ANU-11891) and a calibrated 2 sigma ± 100 BP (Beta-172928) and has a calibrated age earlier than range of AD 1020 to AD 1400. A sample from the charcoal other determinations of AD 620 to AD 1000. concentration in TP 3 has an age of 850 ± 50 In conclu ion, Pulemelei wa con tructed in BP (Beta-172927) and has a calibrated range Test Pit 3 the following way: At the bottom it appear of AD 1040 to AD 1270. These determina- o::l _--.r------~ to have an earth-filled foundation platform tions may provide an age for the initial con- retained by vertical lab on edge, and on top struction pha e of Pulemelei. Scattered char- of this is a ba e platform con tructed of local coal from a depth of 10 cm to 20 cm in TP 6 volcanic boulder. Above thi i a lanting has an age of 680 ± 80 BP (Beta-177607) and platform area, which lead up to a vertical- has a calibrated range of AD 1230 to AD sided top platform built of horizontal labs 1420. This might indicate activities tied to and paved with rounded tream stones. The the use of the ite and possible later clearing structure is built on ground that slopes down- and building activities. The charcoal sample hill from north to south, which means that the from the tree root excavation on the top plat- highe t point of the tructure on the south is form has a conventional radiocarbon age to about 11m to 12 m. The radiocarbon dates 310 ± 90 BP (ANU-11890) and ha the mo t ~ are the first for Savai'i and sugge t that ac- recent calibrated age of AD 1420 to AD L - --4.::..0-c-m--...... -----...l tivities in the vicinity of the mound pan AD 1690. Thi indicates that the top platform is a 2O a 620 to AD 1690 (Figure 6), although the late addition. However, the presence of the presence of a few ceramic sherds might indi- ceramic herd, which are generally thought cate human use before AD 600. The date on to date about 1700 to 1400 cal. BP in Samoa, B the two umu are different and do not overlap and an earlier date on an umu in Trench 1 each other but folJow in sequence sugge ting ( ee below) could indicate activities which 20 ongoing use of the area. The oven closest to pre-date the monumental construction or the mound in Trench 1 has an earlier age even an earlier age for initial con truction of (AD 620 to AD 1000) than the ample from the main mound. 40 the umu in TP 1 (AD 1020 to AD 1400). The

Trench 1 wa perpendicular to an intact I -~..... date of the charcoal concentration in TP 3 part of the original ba e platform wall. A sec- 60 !::==::::::!:!:::::=~~:::::=:::~ (AD 1040 to AD 1270) i imilar to the TP 1 tion of the original ba e wall wa uncovered 0 b 1m oven. The date of the cattered charcoal by removing everal layer of tone rubble. found at 10-20 cm in TP 6 (AD 1230 to AD At a depth of about 60 cm, the foundation Figure 5. Plan drawing (a) and ection 1420) indicates the ongoing u e of the ite. (b) of test pit 3.

Rapa Nui Journal 83 Vol. 17 (2) October 2003

Published by Kahualike, 2003 3 Rapa Nui Journal: Journal of the Easter Island Foundation, Vol. 17 [2003], Iss. 2, Art. 2 The late age for the single ample we have from the top plat­ Dickinson, W. R. and R. C. Green 1998. Geoarchaeological form uggests it might be a later addition to the mound. The evi­ Context of Holocene Subsidence at the Ferry Berth Site. dence from the dated sample and the find of ceramic uggest Mulifanua, Upolu, We tern Samoa, Geoarchaeology that this area has been utilized by Samoan for at least the last 13:239-263. 1500 years. Green R. C. 2002. A Retrospective View of Settlement Pattern Further investigation and dating need to be conducted Studies in Samoa. Pacific Landscapes. Archaeological Ap­ before more secure conclu ions can be reached. The preliminary proaches. T. N. Ladefoged and M. W. Grave ed. :125­ work hows that large tructures like Pulemelei are complex 152. Lo Oso : Ea ter I land Foundation. con tructions that may have been built over quite long interval Green R. c., and J. M. David on, eds. 1969. Archaeology in and a a result they are likely to have had multiple function . In Western Samoa. Volume 1, Bulletin 6. Auckland: Auck­ 2003 we will be returning to Pulemelei to carry out more exten- land Institute and Mu eum. ive inve tigations of the main mound and also of surrounding Green R. c., and 1. M. David on, eds. 1974. Archaeology in structure to examine que tion of chronology and function Western Samoa. Volume II, Bulletin 7. Auckland: Auck­ raised by our initial re earch. land Institute and Museum. Herdrich, D. J. 1991. Toward an Under tanding of Samoan ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Star mounds. Journal of the Polynesian Society 100:381­ 435. Our thank goe to our Samoan collaborators; the landowners of Hunt, T. L. and P. V. Kirch 1988. An Archaeological Survey of Nelson Inc., Mr. Tamasese, Mr. Moore, Mr. Retslaff and Mr. the Manu'a Islands, American Samoa. Journal ofthe Poly­ Joe Annandale, who is the Samoan coordinator of the project. nesian Society 97:153-83. We would also like to thank Dr. Asofou So'o for hi good col­ Jennings, J. D. and R. N. Holmer 1980. Archaeological Investi­ laboration and for inviting us to participate with a paper on Sa­ gations in Western Samoa. Pacific Anthropological Re­ moa archaeology at the conference "Identifying Future Re­ cords 32. Honolulu: Department of Anthropology, Bernice search Directions in Samoan Studies" at the National Univer­ P. Bi hop Museum. th sity of Samoa on the 9 to II th of September 2002. Special Jennings, J. D., R. N. Holmer and G. Jackmond 1982. Samoan thanks goes to our workers in field, the foreman of the Nelson Village Patterns: Four Example. Journal of the Polyne­ Plantation Mr Aiolupo and the foreman of our field workers Mr sian Society 91 :81-102. Ageli a well as our hard working friend ; Tunoa Mataafa, Jenning, J. D., R. N. Holmer, J. C. Janetski and H. L. Smith Feuusio Simaka, Tuuanu Savar, Apelila Saer, Vavao Malu, Tai­ 1976. Excavations on Upolu, Western Samoa. Pacific An­ till Fono, Tuivale Mataaea, Kili i Akekipa, Asiasiga, Siaki, Fito thropological Records 25. Honolulu: Department of An­ Fareni, Kalepo, Alatina, Sefo, Tuugasala, Lepa Lui, Simi, Avia, thropology, Bernice P. Bi hop Museum. and Iakaopo. Kirch, P. V. 2000. On the Road ofthe Winds. Berkeley: Univer­ ity of California Pre . REFERE CES Kirch, P. V., and T. L. Hunt, ed . 1993 The To 'aga Site: Three Millennia ofPolynesian Occupation in the Manu 'a Islands, Ayre , W. S., J. A. Wozniak, G. Robbins and E. Suafo'a 2001. American Samoa. Contributions 51. Berkeley: Archaeo­ Archaeology in American Samoa: Maloatii, Malaeimi and logical Research Facility, University of California. Malaeloa. Pacific 2000. Proceedings of the Fifth Interna­ Scott, S. D. 1969. Reconnaissance and Some Detailed Site plan tional Conference on Easter Island and the Pacific. C. S. of Major Monuments of Savai'i. Archaeology ill Western Stevenson, G. Lee and F. J. Morin ed . :227-235. Lo 0 0 : Samoa. Volume [, Bulletin 6. R. C. Green and J. M. David­ Easter 1 land Foundation. on ed . :69-90. Auckland: Auckland Institute and Mu eum Clark, J. T., 1996. Samoan Prehi tory in Review. Oceanic Cul­ Suafo'a, E. 2001. Hi tory in the National Park of American Sa­ ture Hi tory: Essays in Honor of Roger Green. Special Pub­ moa: Field Methods and Archaeological Approaches. Pa­ lication. J. M. David on, G. Irwin, B. F. Leach, A. Pawley cific 2000. Proceedings of the Fifth International Confer­ and D. Brown ed . :445-60. Dunedin: Ar­ ence on Easter Island and the Pacific. C. S. Steven on, G. chaeological Association. Lee and F. J. Morin eds. :205-212. Lo 0 0 : Ea ler I land Clark, J. T. and D. J. Herdrich 1993. Prehistoric Settlement Sys­ Foundation. tems in Eastern Tutuila. Journal of the Polynesian Society Taomia, J. M. E. 2001. Archaeological Survey on the Tafuna 102:147-85. Plain and Adjacent Area , Tutuila Island. American Samoa. Clark, J. T. and M. G. Michlovic 1996. An Early Settlement in Pacific 2000. Proceedings of the Fifth International Con­ the Polynesian Homeland: Excavation at 'Aoa Valley, Tu­ ference on Easter Island and the Pacific. C. S. Stevenson tuila I land, American Samoa. Journal of Field Archae­ G. Lee and F. J. Morin ed . :213-217. Lo 0 as: Easter 1 ­ ology 23: 151-67. land Foundation. Clark, J. T., P. Sheppard and M. Jone 1997. Late Ceramic in Samoa. A Te t U ing Hydration-rim Measurements. Cur­ rent Anthropology 38:898-904.

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