Geoarchaeology of pit-agricultural landscape and climatic disasters of Oceanic atolls

2022 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 17H01647
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (A)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Section: 海外学術
• Research Field: Archaeology
• Research Institution: Keio University
• Principal Investigator: Yamaguchi Toru 慶應義塾大学, 文学部(三田), 教授 (90306887)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 山野 博哉 国立研究開発法人国立環境研究所, 生物多様性領域, 領域長 (60332243)
• Project Period (FY): 2017-04-01 – 2022-03-31
• Keywords: ジオ考古学 / 歴史人類学 / オセアニア / 環礁社会 / 天水田農耕 / 熱帯サイクロン / 脆弱性 / レジリエンス

Outline of Final Research Achievements

This study aimed to elucidate the vulnerability and resilience to natural disasters of Pukapuka Atoll, a small island society in the Northern Cook Islands. The island is one of several atolls scattered within the trade wind zone. Tropical cyclones, in particular, are causing salt damage to the taro agricultural pits and swamps that sustain the subsistence. Even now, with relief supplies arriving from outside the island, it took more than five years to recover from Cyclone Percy hitting the atoll in February 2005. Prehistoric societies that could not expect support must have been more vulnerable. Archaeological evidence suggests that taro pits began to be constructed in the 14th century AD, and their numbers increased rapidly around his 16th century, with some pits being re-excavated from time to time. These features may be interpreted as a way of resilience (recovery process) of atoll societies.

Free Research Field

ジオ考古学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

オセアニアの環礁社会は、地球温暖化問題の文脈のなかで、しばしば言及されてきた。しかし、その多くはキリバスのタラワやマーシャル諸島のマジュロ、ツアモツ諸島のランギロアといった人口密集の都市化した環礁だった。赤道付近の貿易風帯には、これら以外にも環礁が数多く点在しており、北部クック諸島のプカプカは離島環礁の典型例である。天水田農耕は陸上資源に乏しい環礁生態系のなかで、島民の自律的な生計を支える文化景観である。過去から現在にいたるまで、その景観の動態性を通時的に把握した成果は、これら離島環礁のローカルで自律的なレジリエンス（復興戦略）を高めるために役立つはずである。