Unearthing the Polynesian Past: Explorations and Adventures of an Island Archaeologist
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | 4.77 (737 Votes) |
| Asin | : | 0824853458 |
| Format Type | : | paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 400 Pages |
| Publish Date | : | 2017-05-10 |
| Language | : | English |
DESCRIPTION:
Not all scientists can write for a lay audience, but Patrick Vinton Kirch's new memoir chronicling his lifelong passionthe archaeological study of Hawaii and other Pacific islandsis one of those rare books that entertains while it educates. Kirch's excellent book is an eloquent reminder that by learning where we came from, we can better understand ourselves. (
Patrick Vinton Kirch is Chancellor's Professor Emeritus, University of California, Berkeley.
John Wehrheim said Evolution of Pacific Archaeology. A delightful, readable, evolution of Pacific archaeology, enriched with interdisciplinary linkages and oral tradition. A great “whodunit” page-turner that reveals as much about its distinguished author as it does about his subject. Unfortunately, many who want to re-write or selectively edit Polynesian history for their political agendas, as well as those postmodern academics who reject science
Looking back over the past half-century of Polynesian archaeology, Kirch reflects on how the questions we ask about the past have changed over the decades, how archaeological methods have advanced, and how our knowledge of the Polynesian past has greatly expanded.. In Hawai'i, Kirch traced the islands' history in the Anahulu valley and across the ancient district of Kahikinui, Maui. Further expeditions have taken him to isolated Tikopia, where his excavations exposed stratified sites extending back three thousand years; to Niuatoputapu, a former outpost of the Tongan maritime empire; to Mangaia, with its fortified refuge caves; and to Mo'orea, where chiefs vied to construct impressive temples to the war god 'Oro. In this lively memoir, rich with personaland often amusinganecdotes, Kirch relates his many adventures while doing fieldwork on remote islands.At the age of thirteen, Kirch was accepted as a summer intern by the eccentric Bishop Museum zoologist Yoshio Kondo and was soon participating in archaeological digs on