Coral Gravel Spreads: Observations on the Archaeological Differentiation Between Prehistoric and Historic House Sites in the Marshall Islands
Spennemann DH. 1992. Coral Gravel Spreads: Observations on the Archaeological Differentiation Between Prehistoric and Historic House Sites in the Marshall Islands. Republic of the Marshall Islands Historic Preservation Office
Abstract: "The report reviews the present knowledge on coral gravel spreads or scatters, the most common archaeological site type in the Marshall Islands. Hitherto prehistoric and historic gravel spreads could not be distinguished. A thesis to distinguish the two is advanced, based on a study of ethnographically recorded and modern housing, as well as based on the observations of burnt-down houses. The dating is based on the fact that modern houses are built close to the ground and coral gravel is not spread underneath them. Traditional houses on the other hand had no walls and coral gravel had been spread underneath the roofed area. Thus traditional coral gravel spreads are likely to represent a continuous scatter of coral gravel, while modern scatters are likely to show up agap where the house once stood." Project funding was provided by a Historic Preservation Fund grant to the Republic of the Marshall Islands Historic Preservation Office, administered by the Interior Regions 8, 9, 10, and 12, National Park Service, U.S. Department of Interior.
- Type
- Published Report
- Authors
- Spennemann, Dirk
- Date of Issue
- 1992-10
- Publisher
- Republic of the Marshall Islands Historic Preservation Office
- Units
- HPF