Taputapuātea Marae Complex
Taputapuātea
France · French Polynesia, Raiatea
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?
- It showed that the large structure visible today covers older platforms and paving.
- It revealed that dead coral was used predominantly in the ahu, while coral collected alive was used in some fill and small slabs.
- 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
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- Orongo Ceremonial Village 4,451 km
- —
- —
- 12.000
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