This communication presents results from LiDAR-guided field research in 2017 which revealed the existence of continuous indigenous population zones stretching from the coast to three or more kilometres inland across the district of Palauli East, Savai'i. The findings amplify archaeological evidence of a small number of inland settlements (recorded in the 1970s and earlier) on the main islands of 'Upolu and Savai'i as well as recent studies of the small islands of the Manu'a group and Manono. They build the case that in centuries prior to the 19th century inland settlement was far more extensive and villages were not, as had been widely assumed, mainly located on the coast. The findings also support contentions that Sāmoa may have had a much larger population in previous centuries than that indicated by missionary estimates of the mid-19th century.

中文翻译：

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萨摩亚的隐秘过去：LiDAR确认内陆定居并建议在接触前的萨摩亚中有更多人口

这份通讯提供了2017年由LiDAR指导的现场研究的结果，该研究表明存在着连续的土著人口区域，这些人口区域从沿海延伸到萨瓦伊东部帕拉乌里区的内陆三公里或更多公里。这些发现扩大了在'Upolu和Savai'i主要岛屿上的少量内陆定居点（记录在1970年代及更早时期）的考古证据，以及对Manu'a组和Manono的小岛屿的最新研究。他们提出了这样的假设：在19世纪之前的几个世纪中，内陆定居点更为广泛，而村庄并未像人们普遍认为的那样主要位于沿海地区。