Obsidian Point Discovered on Kapingamarangi Atoll, Micronesia: Implications for Post-Settlement Regional Interactions

A rare obsidian point discovered on Kapingamarangi Atoll, Micronesia, reveals significant post-settlement interactions between Micronesia and Melanesia during the first half of the second millennium AD. Analysis using use-wear, residue, and pXRF techniques confirmed that the artifact originated from the Admiralty Islands in Papua New Guinea, approximately 900 km away. This discovery suggests that obsidian artifacts held prestige value as chiefly heirlooms and grave goods, circulating through a complex interaction network involving Polynesian Outlier populations and skilled seafarers from the Caroline Islands. The study further implies that the Saudeleur dynasty of Pohnpei, known for its influence during the development of Nan Madol—a notable megalithic politico-religious center—played a pivotal role in this interaction sphere between AD 1000–1500. By integrating archaeological, linguistic, historical, ethnological, oral traditional, and DNA data, this interdisciplinary research deepens our understanding of regional dynamics in the western Pacific during this period.

Nagaoka, T., Sheppard, P. J., Ross-Sheppard, C., & Kononenko, N. (2022). Obsidian Point Discovered on Kapingamarangi Atoll, Micronesia: Implications for Post-Settlement Regional Interactions. Waka Kuaka | the Journal of the Polynesian Society, 131(4), 389–426. https://doi.org/10.15286/jps.131.4.389-426