Dissertation Research: Archaeological Investigation of Exchange in the Caroline Islands

点击翻译按钮获取中文摘要

9412851 Ayres Under the direction of Dr. William Ayres, Mr Christopohe Descantes will collect data for his doctoral dissertation. He will conduct ethnographic, ethnohistorical and archaeological research in the village of Gachpar, located on the Pacific island of Yap, and at Ulithi, a coral atoll located off Yap's coast. Ethnographic data indicates that in the Yap region, as in many parts of the Pacific, extensive exchange networks existed to distribute goods among resource poor islands and this exchange network played a central role in the political organization of island polities. In Yap the situation appears quite complex since specific areas of the island maintained exclusive links with individual outlying atolls. At an even finer level, these linkages appeared specified by individual family and lineage. Mr. Descantes will carry out ethnographic and archaeological fieldwork on both Yap and Ulithi. He will conduct interview and excavation in the Yap village which, by tradition is linked through trade to Ulithi. He will do similar work at Ulithi as well. On this basis, he will determine what trading ties exist at the present time and trace them backwards first through the historical record and then, by means of excavated archaeological material into the prehistoric past. Archaeological data indicates that small and geographically isolated Pacific islands were inhabited thousands of years ago. While the original feats of navigation involved in this expansion have long been recognized, less attention has been focussed on the social, economic and political systems which permitted sustained occupation of islands which were often lacking in workable stone, clay and other essential goods. This research is focussed on this topic. It is important because its deep chronological perspective will permit one to examine how the system developed and was maintained over millennia. The data which M. Deschantes collects will be of interest to many anthropologists. The proj ect will also assist in the training of a promising young scientist.