Investigating regional patterning in archaeological remains by pairing extensive survey with a lidar dataset: The case of the Manu'a Group, American Samoa

Abstract

A long standing research approach in island Oceania is the examination of community and regional level patterning of archaeological remains. However, these efforts are impeded by heavy vegetation and rugged terrain,which limit the implementation and productivity of traditional archaeological methods. Aerial lidar data provide an opportunity to survey large archaeological landscapes effectively and efficiently in these environments. In this paper, we present the results of a lidar-based survey and analysis of community-level spatial patterning for at sites in the Manu'a Group of American Samoa. Using lidar data in conjunction with pedestrian survey results, we first established the suitability of lidar for identifying archaeological features, and then applied the technique to a previously unexamined landscape.We were able to record archaeological remains and analyse the data to discern spatial patterning in their distribution. The patterning of these remains is broadly comparable, though not identical, to that of three other settlement zones on Olosega and the adjacent island of Ofu,which previously were intensively surveyed. The differences in the characteristics and distribution of structural features within and between these four settlement zones may reflect differences in social status and ranking.