A Reappraisal of Evidence for Subsitence Change at the Hane Dune Site, Marquesas Islands, French Polynesia

Abstract

The faunal assemblage from the Hane Dune site in the Marquesas Islands serves as one of the best-documented cases of Prehistoric subsistence change in Polynesia. Reanalysis of the data using more reliable quantitative techniques indicates that there is insufficient evidence to identify a qualitative shift from a marine-oriented to a terrestrially focused economy. With the exception of the loss of birds over time, the Hane faunal assemblage is dominated by marine taxa over time. Stability rather than dramatic change appears to be the subsistence trend at Hane. This suggests that archaeologists may want to reconsider their analyses and interpretations of subsistence patterns in Polynesia. KEYWORDS: faunal analysis, subsistence change, quantitative methods, Marquesas Islands, French Polynesia.