Taputapuātea Marae Complex

Taputapuātea

France · French Polynesia, Raiatea

Temple / ritual siteUnknownUNESCO · 2017
Approximate period1,300 CE — 1,800 CE14th–18th-century Mā'ohi marae tradition See on the map ↓

In brief

The complex on the coast of Raiatea consists of marae with political, ceremonial, religious and funerary functions. Excavations in 1963 uncovered buried paving and a cooking hearth; work in 1994 revealed stone tools and human bones. The period given refers to the 14th–18th-century marae tradition described by UNESCO; the date of its initial establishment is uncertain.

What was found?

  • 1Buried stone paving

    Older paving was found beneath the large marae. The visible ahu also covers a smaller, older ahu, showing that the complex expanded in stages.

  • 2Cooking hearth

    A cooking hearth was uncovered during the initial excavations. This find documents the presence of food preparation activities at the ceremonial center.

  • 3Mother-of-pearl arrowhead

    An arrowhead made of mother-of-pearl was found during excavation. It shows that worked shell artifacts were also used alongside the stone architecture.

  • 4Adzes and pounding stones

    Adzes and pounding stones were recovered during investigations conducted alongside restoration. These tools are among the portable finds associated with the center's use.

  • 5Human remains

    Human bones were also found during the work and were subsequently subjected to anthropological research. The remains are considered in conjunction with the funerary function also described by UNESCO.

What does it point to?

Taputapuātea was a center that brought together politics, belief, social gatherings, and funerary practices. Marae were sacred places in the Mā'ohi world where connections were established between the living, ancestors, and gods.

What did it teach us?

  1. It showed that the large structure visible today covers older platforms and paving.
  2. It revealed that dead coral was used predominantly in the ahu, while coral collected alive was used in some fill and small slabs.
  3. It documented that the center consisted of multiple marae with different functions.

Record

Culture
Mā'ohi / East Polynesia
First modern dig
1963
Team / historical
Service de la Culture et du Patrimoine
Coordinates
-16.8414°, -151.3724°

Sources

  1. whc.unesco.org
  2. hiroa.pf

Nearby excavations


—
—
12.000

From beneath the soil: latest discoveries

  • 5th-century graves containing weapons, valuable jewelry and two horses found in France

    Excavations at Horbourg-Wihr uncovered 14 graves belonging to adults and children, along with two horse burials; finds include a sword, a shield, and gold and silver jewelry. According to researchers, the cemetery expands the limited evidence about communities in Alsace between the end of Roman rule and the beginning of the Merovingian period.

    HeritageDaily ↗
  • Staircase and original floor of Old Dongola cathedral uncovered in Sudan

    Sudanese and Polish archaeologists uncovered the monumental staircase, supporting walls and part of the original floor of the large cathedral at Old Dongola. The remains of another church found on the upper floor of an adjoining building also provide new information about the religious architecture of medieval Nubia.

    HeritageDaily ↗ · Excavation notebook
  • Roman settlement and jewelry workshop found during excavations ahead of housing construction in Wales

    Brooches, jewelry-making molds, pottery and coins were found at a settlement in Mancot dating back about 2,000 years. The lead molds used to make brooches provide evidence of Roman-period craft production in the area and possible trade links with nearby Chester.

    HeritageDaily ↗
  • Grave found in Greenland shows stone building remains were a church

    According to researchers, a human skeleton found within the remains of a stone-enclosed structure at Qinngua confirms that the site was used as a church and cemetery. Although the building's architecture suggests a date between 1100 and 1300, analyses are needed for precise dating; the discovery provides new evidence of the religious life of Norse settlers.

    HeritageDaily ↗
  • 1,800-year-old belt buckle decorated with colored enamel found in Ukraine

    A metal belt buckle found in Tsetsyn Forest was dated to the 2nd–3rd centuries AD based on its decoration and manufacturing features. Researchers say the find, which may have belonged to a Sarmatian mounted warrior, could help explain military and cultural relations along the Roman frontier; its owner's identity has not yet been confirmed.

    Arkeofili ↗
  • Chemical traces of cannabis use found in a 2,800-year-old tomb in Siberia

    Cannabis seeds from the Tunnug burial mound were dated to 800–760 BC; signals matching cannabis compounds were also detected in human hair. According to the researchers, the findings suggest that cannabis may have been used in funerary rituals for its psychoactive effects.

    Arkeofili ↗
  • Traces of iron production during the Golden Horde period found in Kazakhstan

    Investigations in the Bayanaul region uncovered iron slag containing preserved charcoal; radiocarbon analysis of the charcoal dated production to the Golden Horde period. The finds provide new evidence of how nomadic communities met their needs for tools and raw materials.

    HeritageDaily ↗
  • 10,500-year-old worked wood found beneath a lake in Germany

    Worked wood, stone tools and animal bones were found at a depth of about 20 metres in Lake Arendsee. The rarely preserved wood directly documents Mesolithic woodworking techniques; whether the pieces belonged to a structure has yet to be established.

    HeritageDaily ↗

    All excavation sites (445)

    Türkiye

    Federated States of Micronesia

    Belize

    Honduras

    North Macedonia

    Sri Lanka