Glossary of Terms

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Seriation:  A relative dating method based on their relative frequent occurrence over time, e.g. bell-bottom pants occurred frequently in the 1970s. 

Site:  A flexible term defining a spatially distinct grouping of artifacts, features and structures on the landscape representing human activity, e.g. a mound, a house foundation, a village, or even a lone terrace. 

Stratigraphy:  The careful analysis of the development of soil layers and their relative timing of deposit 

Synchronic:  Refers to social or material phenomena that occur at a single point in time 

Traditional Samoan Culture:  Dated from 1700 to 300 BP, the Traditional Samoan period indicates the cultural separation of the inhabitants of the Samoan archipelago from the rest of the region, and the marked increase of socio-political elaborations. Here, differences in status between people are witnessed archaeologically by the incorporation of large mounds, star mounds, inter-island trade and variation in house sizes. Also, the island’s population levels increased and began to be evenly distributed throughout the island.