Comments on: 2,000 year old Stone Adzes from Tuamotus reveal Polynesian Trading Capabilities

By: The Jade Trade « Anthropology.net

The Jade Trade « Anthropology.net — Wed, 28 Nov 2007 18:36:02 +0000

[...] However the items were made, their distribution from one source across hundreds of miles of ocean represents an extensive trading networks of a single mineral among ancient peoples. It is only rivaled by the stone adzes, I described several months ago. [...]

By: TerryT

TerryT — Tue, 02 Oct 2007 07:10:32 +0000

The Polynesian islands beyond Tonga and Samoa, and the Tuamotus are way beyond them, weren’t settled until more recently than two thousand years ago. Presumably the axes were found in the first occupation layers.

By: Plumbosis

Plumbosis — Mon, 01 Oct 2007 19:58:05 +0000

I have the same question as Edmundo. I can’t really make sense of it. I suppose a pretty loose sort of a date could be got for the adzes by analysis of style, type, manufacturing technique. Also, perhaps quarry sites have been dated.
So, these adzes were manufactured centuries before their ending up in the Tuamotus. I wonder when did they end up in the Tuamotus.

By: Edmundo Edwards

Edmundo Edwards — Fri, 28 Sep 2007 00:19:58 +0000

We all suspect that polynesia was open to travel in the past and Polynesians were constantly voyaging between islands at a certain time but, how do you know the adzes are 2000 years old?