Abstract:
My interest in ethno-archaeology and a Minor Field Study grant brought me to Samoa.
There I had a chance to participate in a multinational project “The Pulemelei project, the
origins and Development of Monumental architecture”. On the former copra plantation
Letolo situated on the SE part of the Island of Savai’i, is an extensive pre-historic
settlement with over 3000 remains situated. The remains are now heavily overgrown but
when the vegetation was cleared an extensive survey was carried out (1977-78).
By using these records my aim is to understand more about how chiefdom society works
in pre-historic times as well as in the present. The archaeological study is carried out
with the aid of a correspondence analysis using the survey data as well as through a
practical fieldwork (excavations) study of the settlement pattern at the Letolo plantation.
The settlement shows large variations between the inland and the coastal region and
those actions opened for whole new questions and ideas about the Samoan prehistory.
During my journey I also got a better understanding for ethno-archaeology, and the
problems that can meet us using these analogies and carrying out archaeological studies
in a global setting and traditional society. To date, quite limited archaeology has been
carried out on Samoa but the archaeological “revival” boosted by the project which
started in this area in 2002 has created an opportunity to train the first generation of
Samoan archaeologists and give them a good platform to stand on!
