Archaeology Magazine - July/August 2021 - 37

IRRW 2Q 7RQJDWDSX RQH DUHD QHDU /DSDKD KDG DW OHDVW VHYHQ
SLJHRQĥVQDULQJ PRXQGV FRQQHFWHG E\ ZDONZD\V DQG ÀDQNHG E\
FDQRH GRFNV WKDW UHFHLYHG YLVLWRUV IURP RWKHU LVODQGV
Archaeologists have also mapped mounds and other
PRQXPHQWV RQ 7RQJDQ LVODQGV WR WKH QRUWK ZKLFK DUH SDUW RI
WKH +DμDSDL DQG 9DYDμX JURXSV 7UDGLWLRQDO VWRULHV DERXW WKH
monuments and archaeological evidence both indicate that
WKH\ ZHUH OLNHO\ EXLOW LQ WKH ¿IWHHQWK FHQWXU\ E\ ORZHUĥUDQNLQJ
FKLHIV 7R PDLQWDLQ WKHLU SRZHU DFURVV WKH DUFKLSHODJR WKH 7XμL
7RQJD SRVWHG WKHVH FKLHIV DV WKHLU UHSUHVHQWDWLYHV RQ IDUĥÀXQJ
LVODQGV 7KLV KHOSHG SODFDWH SRWHQWLDO ULYDOV DV WKH DSSRLQWHHV
could oversee commoners, land use, and construction projects,
DV LI UXOLQJ WKHLU RZQ PLQL NLQJGRPV
7KH 7XμL 7RQJD¶V UXOH GLG QRW JR XQFKDOOHQJHG 2UDO KLVWRĥ
ries tell of considerable social upheaval starting around 1500,
LQFOXGLQJ D VHULHV RI UR\DO DVVDVVLQDWLRQV 7UDGLWLRQ KROGV
WKDW DURXQG WKLV WLPH WKH WZHQW\ĥWKLUG 7XμL 7RQJD ZDV NLOOHG
because he demanded too much labor and resources for royal
WRPE EXLOGLQJ 2WKHU 7XμL 7RQJD DUH VDLG WR KDYH EHHQ DVVDVĥ
sinated during this era. Eventually, two splinter lineages, the
7XμL +DμDWDNDODXD IROORZHG E\ WKH 7XμL .DQRNXSROX DVVXPHG
WKH PDLQWHQDQFH RI VHFXODU DɱDLUV WKRXJK WKH 7XμL 7RQJD
retained the spiritual and symbolic throne. " Elite power and
LQÀXHQFH JRW WRR ODUJH´ VD\V &ODUN ³DQG WKHQ WKHUH ZDV VRPH
NLQG RI UHIRUPXODWLRQ´
7RQJD¶V DUFKDHRORJLFDO ODQGVFDSH UHÀHFWV WKLV FKDQJLQJ
RUGHU 6RRQ DIWHU WKH\ WRRN FKDUJH RI GD\ĥWRĥGD\ DɱDLUV WKH
7XμL +DμDWDNDODXD DQG 7XμL .DQRNXSROX EHJDQ EXU\LQJ WKHLU
GHDG LQ VWRQH WRPEV 7KRXJK WKHLU EXULDOV ZHUH PRGHVW LQ
FRPSDULVRQ WR WKH 7XμL 7RQJD PHJDOLWKLF JUDYHV EXLOGLQJ
ZLWK TXDUULHG URFN KDG RQFH EHHQ VROHO\ WKH 7XμL 7RQJD¶V SUHĥ
URJDWLYH 7KH WZR QHZ OLQHDJHV DOVR EXLOW FRPSRXQGV DEXWĥ
WLQJ WKH RULJLQDO G\QDVW\¶V SUHFLQFW DW /DSDKD 2WKHU LQGLĥ
FDWLRQV WKDW DW OHDVW VRPH 7RQJDQV FRQWHVWHG WKH SROLWLFDO
order are less conspicuous, and are only now being revealed
by lidar. Australian National University archaeologist Phillip
3DUWRQ UHFHQWO\ LGHQWL¿HG HDUWKZRUN GHIHQVHV DW /DSDKD
IDFLQJ ZHVW ZKHUH WKRVH ZKR DVVDVVLQDWHG WKH 7XμL 7RQJD
DUH VDLG WR KDYH FRPH IURP 3DUWRQ KDV DOVR VSRWWHG GR]HQV
PRUH GHIHQVLYH HDUWKZRUNV DFURVV 7RQJDWDSX 7KRXJK PDQ\
SUREDEO\ GDWH WR D QLQHWHHQWKĥFHQWXU\ FLYLO ZDU VRPH DSSHDU
to be much older. If they are, Parton wonders if they may
WHOO WKH VWRU\ RI FRQÀLFWV DQG URFN\ VXFFHVVLRQV IRUJRWWHQ
in oral histories. " Perhaps some of these lineage changes
were contested, " he says. Despite these periods of unrest
DQG GLUHFW FKDOOHQJHV WR WKHLU UR\DO VWDWXV WKH 7XμL 7RQJD
VWLOO DFWHG DV GLYLQH NLQJV ZKHQ 'XWFK H[SORUHU $EHO 7DVPDQ
¿UVW UHDFKHG 7RQJDWDSX LQ 1643.
A
S EUROPEANS' PRESENCE in Polynesia increased through
the 1700s and 1800s, virtually all Polynesian peoples
ZHUH FRORQL]HG E\ IRUHLJQ HPSLUHV $OWKRXJK 7RQJD
remained independent, Europeans introduced guns, measles,
DQG FODVKLQJ IRUPV RI &KULVWLDQLW\ WR WKH DUFKLSHODJR 7KHVH
GHVWDELOL]LQJ IRUFHV VWRNHG SUHH[LVWLQJ WHQVLRQV DPRQJ UXOLQJ
families that erupted in a brutal civil war in 1799. During this
archaeology.org
Lapaha community members use traditional tools and methods
to restore a royal tomb at the former capital.
HUD YLROHQFH IDPLQH DQG GLVHDVH UHGXFHG 7RQJD¶V SRSXODWLRQ
by an estimated 30 to 50 percent.
7KH ZDU ODVWHG PRUH WKDQ 50 \HDUV DQG ¿QDOO\ HQGHG LQ WKH
YLFWRU\ RI WKH 7XμL .DQRNXSROX OLQHDJH ZKLFK HVWDEOLVKHG D
Christian monarchy in 1875, 10 years after the death of the
WKLUW\ĥQLQWK DQG ODVW UXOHU RI WKH 7XμL 7RQJD '\QDVW\ ,Q 1900,
7RQJD ZDV PDGH D %ULWLVK SURWHFWRUDWH EXW WKH 7XμL .DQRNXĥ
polu remained on the throne. In 1970 7RQJDQV UHJDLQHG
WKHLU VRYHUHLJQW\ DQG WRGD\ DUH FLWL]HQV RI DQ LQGHSHQGHQW
constitutional monarchy.
0RGHUQ 7RQJDQV DUH WKH GHVFHQGDQWV RI WKH HDUO\ VWRQHĥ
ZRUNHUV ZKR FXW UHHI URFN IRU WRPEV WKH FRPPRQHUV ZKR
SDLG WULEXWH DW ¿UVW IUXLWV FHUHPRQLHV DQG WKH FKLHIV ZKR
VQDUHG SLJHRQV DQG WKUHZ GDUWV 7KHLU KLVWRU\ LV UHOHYDQW
EH\RQG WKH DUFKLSHODJR ³7RQJD LV D PLFURFRVP´ VD\V %XUOH\
³,W¶V EHHQ D G\QDVWLF SROLWLFDO HQWLW\ IRU WKH ORQJHVW WLPH´ ,WV
ORQJHYLW\ DQG UHODWLYHO\ ODWH HPHUJHQFH PHDQV 7RQJD FRXOG
SURYLGH DQVZHUV WR ORQJĥVWDQGLQJ TXHVWLRQV DERXW VWDWH
formation around the globe. Already, research shows that
PRQXPHQWV IHVWLYDOV DQG HOLWH SULYLOHJHV OLNH SLJHRQ KXQWLQJ
helped solidify the social divisions crucial to the ascent of the
7XμL 7RQJD '\QDVW\ 7KUHDWV YLROHQFH DQG UHVXOWLQJ FRPSURĥ
PLVH DOVR ¿JXUHG LQWR KRZ WKH 7XμL 7RQJD PDLQWDLQHG WKHLU
UXOH 7KRXJK 7RQJD¶V WUDMHFWRU\ ZDV XQLTXH LW KDV EHFRPH
ZKDW PD\ EH WKH EHVW GRFXPHQWHG FDVH RI D SULPDU\ VWDWHħ
VXSSRUWHG E\ WUDGLWLRQDO NQRZOHGJH ZULWWHQ WHVWLPRQLHV DQG
a burgeoning archaeological record. Q
Bridget Alex is a freelance writer and anthropologist in Pasadena,
California.
37
http://www.archaeology.org
Archaeology Magazine - July/August 2021

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Archaeology Magazine - July/August 2021
