Glossary of Terms

ALL A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

Taphonomy:  The study of the different environmental and cultural processes that affect organic material after its death, e.g. the butchering and distribution of a pig 

Temper:  This is the purposeful inclusions (such as sand) added to clay to give it strength for making pottery, and to reduce the amount of cracking or shrinkage during firing 

Tia Ave:  Samoan for mounds with multiple legs extending from its base, which have been commonly referred to as star mounds. 

To’i:  Samoan for an adze made of basalt or shell. A wood-working tool with its cutting edge set at a perpendicular angle from its haft, often used for shaping rafters, clearing trees and carving canoes. 

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. 

Type:  A class of artifacts that share similar characteristics, e.g. there are currently ten types of adzes made in Samoan prehistory 

Typology:  The systematic organization of a group of artifacts into types based on their shared attributes