Abstract

Recent advances in the study of the antiquity and development of ancient Pacific Island agriculture have been made at sites across much of the region by the application of a range of microfossil techniques, namely analysis of pollen, phytoliths, and starch. Unlike in Melanesia and Polynesia, the application of these techniques in Micronesia is limited. Here we report on microfossil analysis of Micronesian archaeological pit deposits from Tarawa atoll, in the Gilbert Islands (western Kiribati), covering the last 1,800 years. Results show local pit cultivation of Cyrtosperma merkusii and Colocasia esculenta. Together with microfossils of other subsistence taxa, namely Cocos nucifera, Morinda citrifolia, and Pandanus tectorius, and ¹⁴C dated macrofossil charcoal of Artocarpus altilis, the evidence is consistent with the atoll subsistence tradition of Remote Oceania. Because plants have differential production and preservation of pollen, phytoliths, and starch, the study shows the value of using combined analyses of these microparts.

摘要

通过应用一系列微化石技术，即分析花粉、植硅体和淀粉，该地区大部分地区的古代和发展古太平洋岛屿农业的研究取得了最新进展。与美拉尼西亚和波利尼西亚不同，这些技术在密克罗尼西亚的应用是有限的。在这里，我们报告了过去 1,800 年来吉尔伯特群岛（基里巴斯西部）塔拉瓦环礁的密克罗尼西亚考古坑沉积物的微化石分析。结果表明，Cyrtosperma merkusii和Colocasia esculenta的当地坑栽培。连同其他生存类群的微化石，即Cocos nucifera、Morinda citrifolia和Pandanus tectorius和Artocarpus altilis的¹⁴ C 定年大型化石木炭，证据与远大洋洲的环礁生存传统一致。由于植物对花粉、植硅体和淀粉的生产和保存存在差异，因此该研究显示了对这些微粒进行组合分析的价值。