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An enigma revisited: identification of palm phytoliths extracted from the 1983 Rapa Nui, Rano Kao2 core

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Abstract

Collection of climatic, environmental and archaeological data from the remote southern oceanic island of Rapa Nui is a continuous process. There are many enigmas, such as the unique Moai statuary and sparsity of vegetation. Pollen studies concluded that the pre-human island Rapa Nui was dominated by a now extinct palm, Paschalococos disperta. The phytolith research reported here has identified the presence through time of other palm species. Plant biogenic silica phytolith microfossils were extracted from Rano Kau core sediments, a nearby ahu and pan-Pacific palm material for reference purposes. A palm phytolith classification was constructed from the many micrographs produced and all extracted sediment and palm phytoliths were classified and compared visually with each other. Six palm species were identified. Robust identification of these, now extinct on Rapa Nui, palms by phytolith analysis has shown them to belong to extant palm species occurring on Pacific islands in a north-west arc from Rapa Nui and on mainland South America. Data on the current habitats of these palms, when applied to Rapa Nui, has the potential to add to the vegetation and environmental history data base of the island.

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Acknowledgments

My sincere thanks are due to many people. At The Australian National University, the School of Archaeology and Anthropology in the College of Arts and Social Sciences for my Visiting Fellowship and use of laboratory facilities and to David McGregor for logistic support; Frank Brinks and Hua Chen (Centre for Advanced Microscopy) for guidance in use of the SEM; Bob Forrester (Statistical Consulting Unit) for his guidance. To John Flenley (Institute of Agriculture and Environment, Massey University, New Zealand) for access to the Kao2 core and providing palm material; Bill Baker and John Dransfield (Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew) for initial recommendations of palm species to process, the arrival of Herbarium palm material in Canberra and their continued interest; Jennifer Gardner (Waite Herbarium, Adelaide) and Heinz Froehlingsdorf (Palm and Cycad Society, South Australia) for providing South American palm material from the living collection; Helen Martinsson-Wallin (Department of Archaeology and Ancient History, Uppsala Museum, Sweden) for Vinapu terrestrial sediments; Alejandro Zucol (Laboratorio Paleobotanica, CICYTTP-CONICET, Diamante) for his interest and advice on palm phytoliths; to Val Attenbrow (Australian Museum), Virginia Esposito (ANU) and unidentified reviewers for their constructive comments.

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  1. School of Archaeology and Anthropology, College of Arts and Social Sciences, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, 2000, Australia

    Doreen Bowdery

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Correspondence to Doreen Bowdery.

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Communicated by A. Fairbairn.

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Bowdery, D. An enigma revisited: identification of palm phytoliths extracted from the 1983 Rapa Nui, Rano Kao2 core. Veget Hist Archaeobot 24, 455–466 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00334-014-0503-x

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