GIS database of archaeological remains on Samoa

Data set that contains information on archaeological remains of the pre historic settlement of the Letolo valley on Savaii on Samoa. It is built in ArcMap from ESRI and is based on previously unpublished surveys made by the Peace Corps Volonteer Gregory Jackmond in 1976-78, and in a lesser degree on excavations made by Helene Martinsson Wallin and Paul Wallin. The settlement was in use from at least 1000 AD to about 1700- 1800. Since abandonment it has been covered by thick jungle. However by the time of the survey by Jackmond (1976-78) it was grazed by cattle and the remains was visible. The survey is at file at Auckland War Memorial Museum and has hitherto been unpublished. A copy of the survey has been accessed by Olof Håkansson through Martinsson Wallin and Wallin and as part of a Masters Thesis in Archeology at Uppsala University it has been digitised.

Olof Håkansson has built the data base structure in the software from ESRI, and digitised the data in 2015 to 2017. One of the aims of the Masters Thesis was to discuss hierarchies. To do this, subsets of the data have been displayed in various ways on maps. Another aim was to discuss archaeological methodology when working with spatial data, but the data in itself can be used without regard to the questions asked in the Masters Thesis. All data that was unclear has been removed in an effort to avoid errors being introduced. Even so, if there is mistakes in the data set it is to be blamed on the researcher, Olof Håkansson. A more comprehensive account of the aim, questions, purpose, method, as well the results of the research, is to be found in the Masters Thesis itself. Direkt link http://uu.diva-portal.org/smash/record.jsf?pid=diva2%3A1149265&dswid=9472

Purpose:

The purpose is to examine hierarchies in prehistoric Samoa. The purpose is further to make the produced data sets available for study.

Prehistoric remains of the settlement of Letolo on the Island of Savaii in Samoa in Polynesia