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I did not start the day at AHOA however as Duday informed me of a number of newly cleared areas as well as the recent tilling of TEHAUDATA (453-367). This later site was artifact rich but being just above the coastal plain, the artifacts are in soil not sand and quickly depleted. Duday has commented upon the dark nature of the soil at the lowest part of the southeast corner of these fields, and that not all of this dark soil has been disturbed, with a strip remaining untilled. Certainly a good many artifacts must be still in place here and thus it should be singled out for systematic excavation.. I managed to find a number of hammerstones and two adze fragments (where I once filled my bag). Yesterday I searched TIIRUA for the third time and was well rewarded with the discovery of a unbroken fully finished 3Af (see Diagram) as well as a number of other finds which I have shown on the map in Diagram 13.65. Today I should add 3 adze fragments, a porites sanding block.(see Diagram) a number of flake tools, large chopper etc. however the map is already over crowded and I would like to do a soil map for the site, so perhaps a number of new maps are in order (especially considering the complicated midden pattern). After TIIRUA I made a quick check of PURERANI (453-334) this red soil site seems already depleted while I must again state that the small structure that is probably situated in the northeast corner of this property may be sitting in a very important bit of flat ground which is just above the coastal plain. The structure is but a few medium sized uprights enclosing a small (perhaps3x4m) area, however some test pits should be attempted here hoping to find a similar zone as that already described for TEHAUDATA. From here I proceeded to PAEPAE (453-352) where I was surprised to find the fields already planted, some artifacts would have already have been recovered however I still managed to find a number of hammerstones, a classic straight lined 3Aa fragment, an enormous blade tip fragment and miscellaneous flake tools. This field is an example of a dense midden site which contains little else. Midden in fact seems to be generally artifact poor when it is as thick as here at PAEPAE. The stone tools seem to be coming from the outer periphery (east and west)and are of a varied nature but many recent types 3F seems to increase here. The west end of the field is blackened fire pit sand with hima stone, occasionally some adze fragments are found in such soils however most artifacts seem to be at the southwest corner just out of the black send, the incidence of hammerstones would seem to indicate that stone tools were made here or nearby. Again peripheral test pits may be possible to establish the depth and extent of the midden which is very considerable. |
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