The Growth and Collapse of Pacific Island Societies

Pacific island societies experienced significant population collapses following first contact with the West, challenging long-held assumptions about explorer accounts. This book presents new empirical data from archaeological fieldwork and historical research across nine case studies, including Te Henua Enata (The Marquesas Islands), to track long-term population histories. Contrasting teeming descriptions by early European voyagers with missionary censuses, it offers a fresh perspective on indigenous populations in the Pacific, moving beyond traditional debates about data validity.

Kirch, P. V., & Rallu, J.-L. (Eds.). (2017). The Growth and Collapse of Pacific Island Societies. https://doi.org/10.1515/9780824864767