Thomas, Frank R. (2019) Atoll Archaeology in the Pacific. In: Encyclopedia of Global Archaeology. Springer Nature, Switzerland, pp. 1-12. ISBN 978-3-319-51726-1
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As islands formed by biogenic agents
(unconsolidated carbonate sediments deposited by
waves on reef platforms), atolls and table reefs, or
low coral islands without lagoons, can be regarded
as especially constraining habitats for human settlement.
The challenges faced by people, both past and
present, include low soil fertility, absence of perennial
surface freshwater, and extreme vulnerability to
flooding by stormsurge and sea-level rise due to low
elevation of the highly fragmented landmass, only a
few meters above mean sea level. There are about
300 atolls and low coral islands in the Pacific and
thousands of individual islets (motu). Several archipelagoes
are dominated by these limestone islands,
such as the Tuamotus, the Central and Eastern Carolines,
the Marshall Islands, Kiribati, and Tuvalu.
Because of their small size, limited and at time
fluctuating resources, and relative isolation, atolls
are often perceived as marginal environments.
While some human communities did not endure
(Di Piazza and Pearthree 2001), a remarkable
number were sustainable for centuries, taking
advantage of opportunities many atolls provided
and indicating a long history of resilience to environmental
variability (Fitzpatrick et al. 2016).
Despite these achievements, atolls have received
relatively little coverage by Pacific archaeologists
| Item Type: | Book Chapter |
|---|---|
| Subjects: | G Geography. Anthropology. Recreation > GE Environmental Sciences H Social Sciences > H Social Sciences (General) |
| Divisions: | Faculty of Arts, Law and Education (FALE) > Oceania Centre for Arts, Culture and Pacific Studies |
| Depositing User: | Fulori Nainoca - Waqairagata |
| Date Deposited: | 16 Jul 2019 00:03 |
| Last Modified: | 16 Jul 2019 00:03 |
| URI: | https://repository.usp.ac.fj/id/eprint/11669 |
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