NEAR & FAR: UNDERSTANDING LONG-DISTANCE TRADE AND INTERACTION WITHIN THE SOCIETY ISLANDS THROUGH THE APPLICATION OF ENERGY DISPERSIVE X-RAY FLUORESCENCE

The society Island Archipelago of Eastern Polynesia is a volcanic chain located east of the andesite line, producing alkalic lava flows ranging from basalts to trachytes in composition. The prehistoric Polynesian chiefdoms that settled the Society Islands exploited the abundance of basalt to produce numerous adzes and flake tools. The uneven distribution of high-quality, aphanitic basalt may have stimulated the need for regional production centers and trade relations between chiefdoms. However, the geographic isolation of many of the Eastern Polynesian islands rendered continued long-distance voyaging unlikely, making intra- and inter-archipelago trade impractical.

Through the use of non-destructive EDXRF, 279 lithic artifacts and 6 geologic samples collected from the Islands of Maupiti, Mo’orea, and Raiatea were analyzed and differentiated into distinct geochemical groups reflecting concentrations of Sr/Zr as well as other mid-z elements. These geochemical groupings serve as a proxy for non-local trade and the continued need for long-distance voyages. Furthermore, for those samples with a geochemical signature matching known quarry signatures, exact provenance has been established allowing for the reconstruction of trade networks. Petrographic thin sections were created for the 6 geologic samples allowing for the analysis and comparison of mineralogical assemblages and textures between local source materials.

This cross-disciplinary application of petrology and geochemistry to the Archaeological Sciences offers the potential to address questions of raw material procurement and the ability to establish provenance based on geochemical signatures. Through the identification of multiple geochemical groupings reflecting both artifacts and their geological sources, I suggest that long-distance interactions and exchange persist beyond the initial settlement of islands within East Polynesia. By studying the change in geochemical groupings over time at each archaeological site, I illustrate shifts in spheres of influence and socioeconomic relations.