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The archaeological documentation and geochemistry of the Rua Tokitoki adze quarry and the Poike fine‐grain basalt source on Rapa Nui (Easter Island)
Author(s) -
SIMPSON DALE F.,
WEISLER MARSHALL I.,
ST PIERRE EMMA J.,
FENG YUEXING,
BOLHAR ROBERT
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
archaeology in oceania
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 1834-4453
pISSN - 0728-4896
DOI - 10.1002/arco.5132
Subject(s) - archaeology , basalt , prehistory , geology , subsistence agriculture , paleoethnobotany , geochemistry , geography , agriculture
ABSTRACT Rapa Nui is famous for its moai (statues) and ahu (platforms), yet research into the island's many basalt quarries, sources and workshops is limited. These geological and archaeological sites provided the raw materials for tools such as toki (adzes and picks), which facilitated the manufacture of Easter Island's iconic stonework. Other basaltic tools such as hoe (knives), ohio (axes) and mangai mā‘ea (stone fishhooks) served for subsistence practices. However, little is known about the sources of these artefacts, the sequence of their manufacture and their geochemical compositions. In this paper, we provide archaeological site descriptions and geochemistry of source material from the Rua Tokitoki quarry and a fine‐grain basalt locality on Poike to contribute towards an understanding of prehistoric mining, social interaction and elite oversight on this isolated East Polynesian outpost.