The Myth of A.D. 1680: New Evidence from Hanga Ho`onu Rapa Nui (Easter Island)
The Myth of A.D. 1680: New Evidence from Hanga Ho`onu Rapa Nui (Easter Island)
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公元 1680 年的神话：Hanga Ho`onu Rapa Nui（复活节岛）的新证据
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发表时间：
2009
期刊：
影响因子：
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通讯作者：
S. Haoa
中科院分区：
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作者：
Mara A. Mulrooney;T. Ladefoged;C. Stevenson;S. Haoa
世界前工业社会的“崩溃”已经成为流行和科学著作的中心主题（例如，参见Diamond 2005； Morrison 2006）。在这些讨论中，学者们研究了各种被视为人口崩溃和政治失败的核心因素，包括：a)气候在古代经济不稳定中的作用（deMenocal 2001）；b)农业集约化和生产力下降（Tainter 2006）；c)环境退化（Bahn & Flenley 1992）；d)西方接触和欧洲疾病的传入（Ramenofsky 1987; standard 1989）。之前关于拉帕努伊（复活节岛）文化史的讨论就属于这一范畴，拉帕努伊被描绘成一个由于环境退化和资源枯竭以及人口增长而自我毁灭的社会的典型例子。根据大多数作者的观点，这导致了政治不稳定和动荡，导致了重大的社会和宗教变革（见Bahn & Flenley 1992； Flenley & Bahn 2003; Diamond 2005, 2007; Kirch 2000）。拉帕努伊岛上这些进程的时间一直是一个问题，公元1680年被许多学者认为是社会政治变革的关键日期（例如，见Ayres 1975； Bahn 1993; Diamond 2005, 2007; Flenley 1979, 1996; Heyerdahl & Ferdon 1965; Horrocks & Wozniak 2008; Stevenson 1984, 1997）。就在这一年左右，传说中的哈瑙·埃普人之间的战争(记录为“肥胖或肥胖的人”（正确）或“长耳朵”（错误）；见Mulloy 1993)和Hanau Momoko（分别被解释为“瘦长的人”或“短耳朵”，正确和不正确；见Mulloy 1993）据说发生在Poike沟（Heyerdahl & Ferdon 1965）。关于这场战役的信息是基于民族志记录的口述传统（Englert 1948; m<s:2> traux 1940; Routledge 1919; Thomson 1891）。战斗日期的计算来自宗谱估计（Englert 1948），以及1955年Thor Heyerdahl的挪威探险队在Poike沟挖掘期间获得的单一放射性碳日期（Smith 1961a）。然而，最近的考古发掘表明，几乎没有考古证据证实在这个地方发生的战斗（Vargas等人1990,2006；也见Smith 1990； Van Tilburg 1994）。尽管如此，对于许多学者来说，公元1680年的日期仍然被认为是拉帕努伊文化史上最重要的日期。在本文中，我们通过批判性地考察这个日期的使用起源，它在拉帕努伊文化史上的意义，以及研究人员在过去50年里所做的解释，来探索我们所说的“公元1680年的神话”。我们认为，公元1680年的日期经常被错误地解释和错误地投射到考古记录上。这个日期被用作简略地描述拉帕努伊社会的许多变化，这些变化没有得到可靠的记录。我们提出了来自Hanga Ho 'onu的黑曜石水合测年（OHD）和放射性碳测年的初步结果，表明拉帕努伊社会在17世纪末并没有“崩溃”，而只是在1722年欧洲人接触后出现了人口和定居的巨大变化。
The “collapse” of pre-industrial societies the world has become a central theme in popular and scientific writing (see, for example, Diamond 2005; Morrison 2006). In these discussions, scholars have looked at a variety of factors viewed as central to demographic collapse and political failure that include: a) the role of climate in the destabilization of ancient economies (deMenocal 2001); b) the intensification of agriculture and declining productivity (Tainter 2006); c) environmental degradation (Bahn & Flenley 1992); and d) Western contact and the introduction of European diseases (Ramenofsky 1987; Stannard 1989). Previous discussions of Rapa Nui (Easter Island) culture history fall under this rubric and Rapa Nui has been portrayed as a prime example of a society that destroyed itself due to environmental degradation and resource depletion coupled with an increasing population. According to most authors, this led to political instability and upheaval that resulted in major social and religious transformations (see Bahn & Flenley 1992; Flenley & Bahn 2003; Diamond 2005, 2007; Kirch 2000). The timing of these processes on Rapa Nui has been an issue, and the year A.D. 1680 has been noted by numerous scholars as a key date for sociopolitical change (see, for example, Ayres 1975; Bahn 1993; Diamond 2005, 2007; Flenley 1979, 1996; Heyerdahl & Ferdon 1965; Horrocks & Wozniak 2008; Stevenson 1984, 1997). It was in or around this year that the legendary battle between the Hanau Eepe (recorded alternatively as meaning “fat or heavy-set people” (correctly) or “long ears” (incorrectly); see Mulloy 1993) and the Hanau Momoko (interpreted as “thin, slender people” or “short ears”, correctly and incorrectly, respectively; see Mulloy 1993) was said to have occurred at the Poike Ditch (Heyerdahl & Ferdon 1965). Information about this battle is based on oral traditions recorded ethnographically (Englert 1948; Métraux 1940; Routledge 1919; Thomson 1891). The calculation of the date of the battle comes from genealogical estimations (Englert 1948), as well as a single radiocarbon date obtained at the Poike Ditch during Thor Heyerdahl’s Norwegian Expedition excavations in 1955 (Smith 1961a). However, more recent archaeological excavations have shown that there is little archaeological evidence to substantiate the story of the battle at this location (Vargas et al. 1990, 2006; also see Smith 1990; Van Tilburg 1994). Nonetheless, the date of A.D. 1680 has, for many scholars, continued to be referenced as the most significant in Rapa Nui culture history. In this paper, we explore what we refer to as “the myth of A.D. 1680” by critically examining the origins of the use of this date, its significance in Rapa Nui culture history, and interpretations that have been made by researchers during the past 50 years. We suggest that the date of A.D. 1680 has often been wrongly interpreted and erroneously projected onto the archaeological record. This date has been used as shorthand to describe numerous changes to Rapa Nui society, which have not been securely documented. We present preliminary results of obsidian hydration dating (OHD) and radiocarbon dating from Hanga Ho‘onu that indicate Rapa Nui society did not “collapse” in the late 17th century, rather only exhibited dramatic changes to human demography and settlement following European contact in 1722.