Between Chaos and Control: Spatial Perception of Domestic, Political, and Ritual Organisation in Prehistoric Samoa

Authors

  • Seth J. Quintus University of Auckland
  • Jeffrey T. Clark North Dakota State University

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.15286/jps.121.3.275-302

Abstract

The spatial layout of a late prehistoric settlement is examined using comparative analysis, ethnohistorical documents and GIS analysis. The spatial organisation of the settlement is similar to the spatial layout of ethnographically documented Samoan villages, which has been posited to mirror social and political interaction. Spatial concepts developed from analysis of those historic villages are argued to be apparent within this prehistoric settlement, suggesting their origin within prehistory and not after European contact.

Author Biographies

Seth J. Quintus, University of Auckland

Seth J. Quintus received his B.A. and M.A. at North Dakota State University under the direction of Jeffrey Clark and is currently a Ph.D. student at the University of Auckland under the supervision of Melinda Allen. His primary research is focused on the Samoan Archipelago, but he has also conducted field work in Hawai'i, Tokelau, and the North American high plains. He has broad research interests that centre on human paleoecology, human settlement systems, and cultural heritage research as well as the education of minority groups in the sciences.

Jeffrey T. Clark, North Dakota State University

Jeffrey T. Clark received his Ph.D. from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and has taught at North Dakota State University since 1983. Samoa has been a focus of his field research since 1980, but he has also conducted research in Hawai'i, Fiji, and various areas in North America. His research interests in Oceania include paleoenvironmental studies, settlement systems, and human cultural and biological heritage. Professor Clark has also been active in research and publication on assorted computer applications in archaeology, particularly virtual environments for research and education.

cover of September 2012 issue

Published

2012-10-17

Issue

Vol. 121 No. 3 (2012)

Section

Articles

License

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