Materializations of variable power strategies and inequalities in Polynesia

ABSTRACT

Polynesian societies have long framed discussions of chiefdoms. Often, these discussions treat Polynesia as a relatively homogenous region. Despite this, substantial variability in political forms developed in the region that came to affect the structure and nature of archaeologically attested past communities. Here we use two case studies to highlight these patterns: the Manuʻa group in West Polynesia and Moʻorea Island in East Polynesia. We demonstrate how a dualism in chieftainship based on the ideological flexibility of mana, defined loosely as active power, was used in each place, giving rise to different patterns of settlement and economic activities. This dualism intersects with archaeological models of corporate versus network power strategies. Elements of both strategies are evident in each of our case studies but to different degrees. Power strategies in Manuʻa are argued here to be more corporate, while those in Moʻorea were more exclusive.

KEYWORDS:

• Oceania
• chiefdoms
• inequality
• power strategy
• ritual
• Settlement Patterns

Acknowledgments

We wish to thank Thomas Dye for providing critical comments on an earlier draft of this paper. We also thank the editor and anonymous reviewer for constructive suggestions that have improved this manuscript.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

Portions of this research were funded by NSF BCS 1732360 to SQ and NSF BCS-0725173, BCS-1029765, and NSF-BCS 1301165 to JK.

Notes on contributors

Seth Quintus

Seth Quintus (Ph.D. 2015, University of Auckland) is an Associate Professor at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa. His research examines the intersections of communities and environments in the past, especially through food production practices. https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4388-3862

Jennifer Kahn

Jennifer Kahn (Ph.D 2005, University of California Berkeley) is an Associate Professor at the College of William & Mary. Her work investigates the ways in which Central Eastern Polynesian societies diverged through time to become chiefdoms of varying social and political complexity. Her research is multi-scalar and focuses on the interplay of dynamics between households, communities, and regional polities.