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Stable Isotopic Evidence for Nutrient Rejuvenation and Long-Term Resilience on Tikopia Island (Southeast Solomon Islands)

Author

Listed:
  • Jillian A. Swift

    (Anthropology Department, Bernice Pauahi Bishop Museum, Honolulu, HI 96817, USA)

  • Patrick V. Kirch

    (Department of Anthropology, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, Honolulu, HI 96822, USA)

  • Jana Ilgner

    (Department of Archaeology, Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History, 07745 Jena, Germany)

  • Samantha Brown

    (Institute for Archaeological Sciences, University of Tübingen, 72074 Tübingen, Germany)

  • Mary Lucas

    (Department of Archaeology, Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History, 07745 Jena, Germany)

  • Sara Marzo

    (Department of Archaeology, Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History, 07745 Jena, Germany)

  • Patrick Roberts

    (Department of Archaeology, Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History, 07745 Jena, Germany)

Abstract

Tikopia Island, a small and relatively isolated Polynesian Outlier in the Southeast Solomon Islands, supports a remarkably dense human population with minimal external support. Examining long-term trends in human land use on Tikopia through archaeological datasets spanning nearly 3000 years presents an opportunity to investigate pathways to long-term sustainability in a tropical island setting. Here, we trace nutrient dynamics across Tikopia’s three pre-European contact phases (Kiki, Sinapupu, Tuakamali) via stable carbon and nitrogen isotope analysis of commensal Pacific rat ( Rattus exulans ) and domestic pig ( Sus scrofa ) bone and tooth dentine collagen. Our results show a decline in δ 15 N values from the Kiki (c. 800 BC-AD 100) to Sinapupu (c. AD 100–1200) phases, consistent with long-term commensal isotope trends observed on other Polynesian islands. However, increased δ 15 N coupled with lower δ 13 C values in the Tuakamali Phase (c. AD 1200–1800) point to a later nutrient rejuvenation, likely tied to dramatic transformations in agriculture and land use at the Sinapupu-Tuakamali transition. This study offers new, quantifiable evidence for deep-time land and resource management decisions on Tikopia and subsequent impacts on island nutrient status and long-term sustainability.

Suggested Citation

  • Jillian A. Swift & Patrick V. Kirch & Jana Ilgner & Samantha Brown & Mary Lucas & Sara Marzo & Patrick Roberts, 2021. "Stable Isotopic Evidence for Nutrient Rejuvenation and Long-Term Resilience on Tikopia Island (Southeast Solomon Islands)," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(15), pages 1-19, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:13:y:2021:i:15:p:8567-:d:606155
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    4. Jillian A. Swift & Melanie J. Miller & Patrick V. Kirch, 2017. "Stable isotope analysis of Pacific rat (Rattus exulans) from archaeological sites in Mangareva (French Polynesia): The use of commensal species for understanding human activity and ecosystem change," Environmental Archaeology, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 22(3), pages 283-297, July.
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    Cited by:

    1. Michelle J. LeFebvre & Jon M. Erlandson & Scott M. Fitzpatrick, 2022. "Archaeology as Sustainability Science: Perspectives from Ancient Island Societies," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(15), pages 1-17, August.

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