eHRAF Archaeology

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The Tongan tradition extends from circa 2500 BP to 200 BP in the Tongan islands of the south Pacific. People were sedentary fishermen and horticulturalists. Later in the time period pigs and chickens played a greater role in their diet. They stopped using ceramics between 2000 BP and 1200 BP. Political centralization increases through time with large mounds and platforms indicative of the rise in chiefly power appearing around 1000 BP. By the time of European contact Tongan society was ranked with a tripartite paramount chiefdom whose hegemony included all of present day Tonga, Wallis and Futuna, Tikopia, and Niue.

Tongan archaeology and the Tongan past

Temper sands in sherds from Niuatoputapu excavations in Tonga

Archaeological investigations on Tafahi Island

Niuatoputapu

Archaeology of Tonga

Tradition Summary

Archaeology and prehistory

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Author	Title	Publication Date
Burley, David V.	Tongan archaeology and the Tongan past	1998
Dickinson, W. R.	Temper sands in sherds from Niuatoputapu excavations in Tonga	1988
Dye, Tom	Archaeological investigations on Tafahi Island	1988
Kirch, Patrick Vinton	Niuatoputapu	1988
McKern, W. C. (Will Carleton)	Archaeology of Tonga	1929
Peregrine, Peter N. (Peter Neal)	Tradition Summary	2010
Poulsen, Jens	Archaeology and prehistory	1977

Tongan

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