RAPID: Recording Archaeological Sites Exposed by a Recent Tsunami on Tutuila Island, American Samoa

2009年9月29日，位于汤加海沟图图伊拉岛西南约120英里处的地震引发了海啸。不到15分钟，高达30英尺的海啸袭击了萨摩亚。图图伊拉岛有30多人丧生，房屋、企业和基础设施被大面积破坏。海啸还冲刷了海岸线和溪流，暴露了考古遗迹。在美国国家科学基金会通过RAPID竞赛的支持下，美属萨摩亚社区学院萨摩亚研究所的David Addison博士和一个由研究生和本科生组成的团队将记录海啸暴露的考古遗址。该小组还将吸纳社区成员，作为萨摩亚研究所社区外展和教育方案的一部分。虽然在美属萨摩亚进行了三十年的积极考古工作，但人们对沿海和低洼地点的位置和分布知之甚少。其中一个原因是这些地点经常被后期的物质或沙丘覆盖。现在在这些遗址可见的时候将它们记录下来，将使未来的研究人员能够更充分地调查它们，从而更好地了解萨摩亚的文化历史和进程。来自这些遗址的数据也有助于了解该地区的史前史动态，以及解决考古学中更广泛的方法问题。在PI Addison的指导下，研究生将领导由美属萨摩亚社区学院考古学和萨摩亚研究学生和社区成员组成的小组。团队将在图图伊拉的海岸线和近岸溪流上行走，记录并取样暴露的考古遗址。项目期间的当地宣传将提高社区对萨摩亚丰富考古遗产的认识，从而加强领土遗址保护工作和当地对考古的热情。项目结果将很快以谷歌地球层的形式发表，供全世界的研究人员以及当地和散居海外的萨摩亚人查阅。萨摩亚研究所将在学术期刊论文中发表印刷版结果。

On 29 September 2009 an earthquake located some 120 miles southwest of Tutuila Island in the Tonga Trench generated a tsunami. In less than 15 minutes, tsunami waves up to 30 feet high slammed into Samoa. More than thirty people on Tutuila lost their lives and there was widespread destruction of homes, businesses, and infrastructure. The tsunami waves also scoured shorelines and streams, exposing archaeological remains. With National Science Foundation support though the RAPID competition, Dr. David Addison of the American Samoa Community College's Samoan Studies Institute and a team of graduate and undergraduate students will document archaeological sites exposed by the tsunami. The team will also incorporate community members as part of the Samoan Studies Institute's community outreach and education program. Although there has been active archaeological work in American Samoa for three decades, the location and distribution of coastal and low-lying sites is poorly understood. One reason for this is that these sites are often covered by later material, or beach dunes. Recording these sites now while they are visible will allow future researchers to investigate them more fully, thereby providing a better understanding of Samoan culture history and processes. Data from these sites can also contribute to understanding dynamics in the prehistory of the region as well as addressing broader methodological issues in archaeology. Under the direction of PI Addison, the graduate students will lead teams composed of American Samoa Community College archaeology and Samoan Studies students and community members. Teams will walk Tutuila's coastline and nearshore streams and record and sample exposed archaeological sites. Local publicity during the project will increase community awareness of Samoa's rich archaeological heritage thereby enhancing Territorial site-preservation efforts and local enthusiasm for archaeology. Project results will be quickly published as Google Earth layers for worldwide access by researchers as well as Samoans both locally and in diaspora. Print results will be published by the Samoan Studies Institute and in academic journal papers.