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Radiocarbon Determinations from the Mulifanua Lapita Site, Upolu, Western Samoa

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  18 July 2016

Fiona J Petchey
Fiona J Petchey*
Affiliation:
Radiocarbon Dating Laboratory, School of Science and Technology, University of Waikato, Private Bag 3105, Hamilton, New Zealand. Email: [email protected].
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Abstract

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The Mulifanua ferry berth has the distinction of being the only site in Samoa with dentate-stamped Lapita wares, and is the most easterly Lapita site in the Pacific. Two new radiocarbon determinations of material associated with Lapita pottery found at Mulifanua are presented. The accuracy of this data is evaluated according to the results of recent reassessment of pottery from the site, and current theories regarding the age of Lapita settlement in the eastern Pacific. The resulting calibrated radiocarbon ages put occupation of the Mulifanua Lapita site at around 2880–2750 cal BP (930–800 BC). This conclusion is in agreement with the pottery chronology and supports recent hypotheses of rapid Lapita settlement in the Fiji/Tonga region around 2850–2700 cal BP (900–750 BC).

Type
Articles
Information
Radiocarbon , Volume 43 , Issue 1 , 2001 , pp. 63 - 68
Copyright
Copyright © The Arizona Board of Regents on behalf of the University of Arizona 

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