Raivavae
| Raivavae | ||
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| Waters | Pacific Ocean | |
| archipelago | Austral Islands | |
| Geographical location | 23 ° 52 ′ S , 147 ° 40 ′ W | |
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| Number of islands | over 25 | |
| Main island | Raivavae | |
| Land area | 17.9 km² | |
| Lagoon area | 61 km² | |
| Highest elevation | Mont Hiro 437 m |
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| Residents | 905 (2007) | |
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Raivavae , another Polynesian name Vavitu , old names: Laivavai, Lord Bolton's Island and Santa Rosa , is a sparsely populated atoll in the South Pacific , which geographically belongs to the Austral Islands , more precisely to the group of Tubuai Islands, and politically to French -Polynesia belongs.
geography
Geologically, Raivavae is part of the Cook-Austral volcanic chain, a series of submarine volcanoes and volcanic islands that extend to the south of the Pacific Plate . The central island of Raivavaes emerged from a hot spot on the Pacific plate, the magma production of which ended about 6.5 million years ago.
The atoll , including the lagoon , covers an area of approximately 90 km². The lagoon measures 61 km² and the total land area of all islands is 17.9 km². The 8.5 km long and at its widest point 2.3 km wide, elongated-oval central island (High Island) is of volcanic origin. It is surrounded by a fringing reef from which numerous larger and smaller motus rise, including Motu Mano, Motu Haha, Motu Vaiamanu, Motu Araoo and Motu Haaamu. The reef leaves two passages open in the north of the atoll and one passage in the south. The artificially deepened, navigable Tetobe Passage connects Raiurua Bay in the northwest with the open sea. In addition to this outer reef, the central island is also surrounded by a coastal reef that does not protrude above the sea surface.
High Island is mostly mountainous and rugged, with the terrain rising a little more gently in the northwest. The north and south of the island are separated by a steep ridge, the higher parts of which are only sparsely overgrown, and on the leeward side are even arid . It forms a watershed and the flowing waters have carved steep and deep gorges. Today's built-up and agriculturally used coastal strip is narrow, the few beaches on the central island are not very extensive and are mostly in the northwest, but consist of fine, white coral sand.
The highest point is Mt. Hiro at 437 meters. Hiro is the god of thieves and seafarers in Tahiti and is worshiped as one of the mythical ancestors in the Tuamotu Archipelago .
The motus of the fringing reef are flat islets made of white coral sand and debris and densely overgrown with coconut palms, pandanus and other tropical vegetation. Today they are uninhabited, but the larger ones have remains of ceremonial and residential buildings.
Off the eastern tip of the central island lies the uninhabited islet Hotu Atua within the lagoon , which consists of a 60 m high double peak of volcanic origin.
climate
The climate is relatively cool compared to the Polynesian islands further north, as Raivavae is a little south of the Tropic of Capricorn and thus just outside the tropical climate zone . In addition, the temperatures are lowered by the constantly blowing wind. The midday temperatures can sometimes be below 25 ° C, the nights are occasionally even uncomfortably cool. The seasons are not very distinctive. Precipitation falls abundantly, but mostly only in short, heavy showers and is relatively constant throughout the year.
The climatic conditions, which are very favorable for growth, allow the cultivation of a number of crops in the coastal plain that actually belong in the tropical climate zone, such as breadfruit and coconut.
Politics and administration
administration
Politically, Raivavae is one of 5 municipalities in the Austral Islands ( Communes des Îles Australes ). The municipality of Raivavae is divided into the sub-municipalities ( Communes associées ) Anatonu (northeast), Rairua-Mahanatoa (northwest) and Vaiuru (southeast).
The island is administered by the subdivision ( Subdivision administrative des Îles Australes ) of the High Commission for French Polynesia ( Haut-commissariat de la République en Polynésie française ) in Papeete on the island of Tahiti .
language
On Raivavae, as on the rest of the Tubuai Islands, Austral, a Polynesian dialect, is spoken. The official language, however, is French, which the younger residents in particular speak.
Economy and Infrastructure
economy
The 977 residents are mostly self-sufficient. Main foods are taro , breadfruits , sweet potatoes , cassava , sugar cane , bananas and other tropical and subtropical fruits. Protein suppliers are mainly fish, but also chickens and pigs that roam free everywhere. Other essential goods are brought from Papeete by the supply ship, which usually runs twice a month.
The southern location and climatic conditions favor coffee cultivation and make Raivavae the largest coffee producer in French Polynesia, although the total amount produced in family businesses is negligible compared to other coffee exporters in the world. Copra and some fruits are also exported on a smaller scale , mainly for the local market in Tahiti. The production of intricately woven hats and mats from pandanus leaves also brings a little money.
Infrastructure
A paved ring road, on which small, isolated properties can be found again and again, connects the villages. The interior of the island is only accessible in a few places with unpaved paths and footpaths.
In 2003, with funds from France and the EU, an airfield with a 1,400 m long, paved runway was built.
Raivavae has no port. Smaller ships can dock in the sheltered Raiurua Bay in the northwest at a pier .
Other achievements of civilization such as electricity generated by diesel generators, a central water supply, satellite telephones and television have now reached Raivavae, which is very remote within Polynesia. In Rairua there is also a station of the national gendarmerie , a bank, an infirmary and a primary school with an attached kindergarten ( école maternelle et primaire ).
There is no tourist infrastructure with hotels and restaurants (as of 2003). The rare visitors are dependent on private quarters. Every now and then a cruise ship is in the roadstead , whose passengers can enjoy the island, the lagoon and the coral sand beaches on the islands of the reef.
history
prehistory
When and from where the settlement of Raivavae took place has not yet been conclusively clarified. Because of its peripheral location in the Polynesian Triangle , it can be assumed that the Austral Islands were settled relatively late, probably from the Society Islands , possibly also from Mangareva or the Cook Islands . The American archaeologist Patrick Vinton Kirch even goes so far as to regard the Austral Islands, the southern Cook Islands and the Society Islands as one large cultural area. Oral genealogies also indicate a relationship between the noble families of Raiatea , Tubuai and Raivavae.
On the island of Rapa , also part of the Austral archipelago , radiocarbon dating has shown that it was settled around the year 1200. Although no data are available, it is unlikely that Raivavae was first settled much earlier or later.
As on other Polynesian islands, tribal principalities emerged, which in turn were subdivided into individual clans . This form of society was favored by geography. The valleys opening to the sea once formed self-contained settlement areas for the independent tribes. In the valleys separated by rock ridges, artfully irrigated and drained terraces were created for the cultivation of taro , which was cultivated in wet fields (similar to rice in Asia ). Five large growing areas can still be identified today, which can be assigned to the earlier tribal principalities.
At the time of the cultivation bloom, the population is likely to have been 15,000-20,000. The society was structured strictly hierarchically . At the top were the tribal chiefs and their families, supported by an influential caste of priests. The warriors also enjoyed a great reputation in society, which is dominated by constant ritualized tribal wars. The boys were prepared for the craft of war from an early age.
The large, terraced mountain fortresses that were built on several inaccessible rock ridges are indications of a warlike society. The Hatuturi Fort, excavated by the Norwegian Heyerdahl expedition in 1956, is located on a steep, densely overgrown hill and consists of several paved terraces, which presumably supported huts made of perishable materials. The terraces were once protected by wooden palisades . Shallow, stone-clad pits have been found for storage, in which the breadfruit ( maiore ) was fermented and thus preserved for a long time. A procedure that was also common in the Marquesas . A radiocarbon dating carried out by the Heyerdahl expedition in the Hatuturi Complex gave the year 1700 AD (+/- 200 years).
Alongside Hawaii , Easter Island , Tahiti , the Marquesas and Pitcairn , Raivavae is one of the few Polynesian islands on which monumental stone statues have been erected. They were always assigned to a temple platform (marae) . The typical marae of Raivavae consisted of a rectangular ceremonial square, enclosed with up to 3 m high vertical stone tablets, similar to a paved courtyard . Behind it was a large, oval house, probably for ceremonial purposes, built from perishable materials (wood with a roof made of pandanus leaves ). A processional street, also paved and marked by steles , led to the ceremonial square . Ceremonial platforms rose at right angles to the courtyard in two to four superimposed steps, on which the large stone statues stood. A special architectural feature on Raivavae was the alternating use of red tuff, black basalt and gray-white coral blocks for the various components of the marae. According to the findings of the archaeologist Arne Skjølsvold , the marae themselves did not serve as burial grounds, but rather the burials took place in paved stone chambers in the immediate vicinity.
The up to 2.5 m high statues made of volcanic tuff or basalt were - in contrast to those of Easter Island or the Marquesas - often female figures, many of them depicted heavily pregnant women. In 1921 the archaeologist John Stokes discovered strange phallus-shaped statues with human attributes, which still occupy the imagination of laypeople today. In fact, both types of statues are just the manifestation of a fertility cult. This is also indicated by excavation findings by John Stokes. During excavations at Marae Atoraui, he found a large phallic figure directly associated with two statues of pregnant women.
Other relics are the petroglyphs that can be found all over the island , depicting human, often female, figures, animals, faces (masks?) And graphic symbols.
European discovery
Who discovered Raivave for Europe is controversial. James Cook saw the islands of Rurutu , which belong to the same archipelago, on his first voyage in 1769 and Tubuai on his third voyage in 1777, but he did not go ashore on either occasion. Probably he should not have overlooked Raivavae, but there is no confirmation. Therefore, today the Spaniard Thomás de Gayangos is considered the first European explorer. He reached Raivavae on February 5, 1775 with the ships Aguila and Jupiter as part of an expedition to Tahiti initiated by Manuel d'Amat i de Junyent . He named the island "Santa Rosa" after the holy Rosa of Lima .
Sixteen years later, on 2 December 1791 that happened HMS Chatham under the command of William Robert Broughton Raivavae on the way from New Zealand to Tahiti to get there with the HMS Discovery of George Vancouver to meet.
In July 1799, Venus cruised between the Austral Islands under the command of George Bass . Bass discovered the Bass Rocks ( Marotiri ) named after him . He believed himself to be the first discoverer of Raivavae and named the island Lord Bolton's Island after Baron Bolton, a friend and patron of his business partner and co-owner of the Venus Charles Bishop .
The next European visitors are not known by name, but there are indications that Raivavae - like other islands in Eastern Polynesia - was visited several times by whalers, adventurers and trade captains at the beginning of the 19th century. In the 19th century, Raivavae was known in Europe as a source of sandalwood . In 1812, under the command of Captain Michael Fodger, the brig Daphne anchored off Raivavae and captured a considerable amount of sandalwood.
After the Pomaré dynasty with British support had consolidated their influence on Tahiti and Pomaré II had been crowned king in 1819, he decided to extend his sphere of influence to the Austral Islands. The American brig Arab brought the king, his court and several missionaries from the London Missionary Society (LMS) to the Austral Islands in October 1819 . When the Arab reached Raivavae, the clans were in one of their usual tribal wars. Pomaré managed to mediate between the warring parties and to resolve the conflict diplomatically. He left one of his Tahitian chiefs as governor , who prepared the basis for the Protestant missionaries of the LMS who followed from Moorea a year later . In the year of their arrival they had more than 100 "pagan" statues destroyed. King Tahuhu a Tama, the chief ariki of the island, converted to Christianity and destroyed his family marae in the Mateaina district with his own hands. He gave the masterfully crafted stone statue of the cult platform, which bore the name "Arununa", to the Christian missionaries, who gave them to the British geologist and naturalist Samuel Stutchbury (1798-1859), who brought it to Great Britain in 1826. Today it belongs to the collection of the Pitt Rivers Museum in Oxford.
Raivavae remained under the hegemony of Tahiti. The conversion to Christianity was peaceful, as the tribal chiefs assimilated the new religion quickly and without resistance. Christianization ended the tribal wars, but it brought about decisive changes in society. The chief families still dominated the island society, but no longer as absolutist rulers, but only as a kind of "paternal protector" within the framework of the London Missionary Society. Polygamy , a privilege of the nobility, and sexual relations among adolescent youth were strictly forbidden.
In April 1829 a devastating epidemic spread from Tubuai to Raivavae, dramatically reducing the population from an estimated 3,000. A detailed census in 1836 showed the number of only 409 inhabitants, of which 241 were men and 148 women.
In September 1861, Queen Pomaré IV agreed with Eugène Gaultier de la Richerie, the envoy of Napoleon III. in Tahiti, the southern Tuamotu Islands and Raivavae under their rule. In 1876 France proclaimed the protectorate of Raivavae. With the end of the Pomaré dynasty on Tahiti, the island was finally annexed in 1880 and became a French colony.
In the 19th and early 20th centuries, the coffee boom caused a small economic upswing that brought some families a modest level of prosperity. However, due to the drop in coffee prices, none of this can be felt today.
Research history
Raivavae has only been sparsely researched ethnologically and archaeologically . So far there have only been five research expeditions to the island:
- Archaeologist John Stokes of the Bishop Museum , Honolulu in 1921, who mapped some significant historical sites and excavated the well-known phallic stone carvings
- Frank Stimson, who did linguistic studies in 1938
- The "Norwegian Archaeological Expedition to Easter Island and the East Pacific" by Thor Heyerdahl , 1956. Skjølsvold excavated the stone terraces of the Hatuturi fortification in May / June 1956 and examined the ceremonial complexes Te Rae Rae near the village of Rairua and Mahara near Vaiuru.
- The ethnologist Donald Marshall in the late 1950s, who essentially limited his research to contemporary culture and ethnology
- The archaeologist and ethnologist Edmundo Edwards, who carried out extensive archaeological excavations for the first time in 1986-87 and published a standard work on the island's archeology.
Others
Stone statues from Raivavae are now in the Bernice P. Bishop Museum , Honolulu, Hawaii, the Musée de Tahiti et des Îles near Papeete and the Pitt Rivers Museum , Oxford . Particularly finely carved objects and weapons can be seen in the Musée national des arts d'Afrique et d'Océanie (incorporated into the Musée du quai Branly since 2006 ) in Paris .
Remarks
- ↑ In some travel guides you can still read that there are no breadfruit trees on Raivavae. This is misinformation copied from older publications.
Individual evidence
- ↑ www.mantleplumes.org
- ↑ Bernard Salvat, Tamatoa Bambridge, Donatien Tanret, Jerôme Petit (eds.): Environnement Marin des Îles Australes, Polynésie Française, Tahiti 2015 , p. 205
- ^ Institut Statistique de Polynésie Française (ISPF) - Recensement de la population 2012
- ↑ Patrick Vinton Kirch: Rethinking East Polynesian Archeology , In: The Journal of the Polynesian Society , Vol. 95, No. 1, 1986, pp. 9-39 ( online )
- ↑ James Morrison: Journal de James Morrison - Second maître à bord du Bounty , Musée de l'homme Paris 1966
- ^ Atholl John Anderson et al .: Prehistoric human impacts on Rapa, French Polynesia , Antiquity Vol 80, June 2006, pp. 340–354
- ^ A b Donald Marshall, Raivavae , Doubleday & Co New York, 1961
- ^ A b Thor Heyerdahl and Edwin N. Ferdon: Reports of the Norwegian Archaeological Expedition to Easter Island and the East Pacific , Volume 2, Forum Publishing House Stockholm 1965
- ↑ Description from: Edmundo Edwards: Raivavae - The archaeological Survey of Raivavae, Austral Islands, French Polynesia , Los Osos (California) 2003
- ^ Peter Henry Buck ( Te Rangi Hīroa ): Explorers of the Pacific , Bernice P. Bishop Museum Special Publication, Honolulu 1999, p. 61
- ^ Australian Dictionary of Biography , Volume 1
- ↑ Michael Roe: The Journal and Letters of Captain Charles Bishop on the North-West Coast of America, in the Pacific and in New South Wales 1794-1799, University Press Cambridge 1966, p. XLVII
- ^ Harry E. Maude: Of Islands and Men - Studies in Pacific History, Melbourne 1968, p. 196
- ^ Jacques-Antoine Moerenhout : Travels to the islands of the Pacific Ocean , London 1887, reprint: University Press of America, Lanham-London-New York 1993, pp. 453-454
- ^ William Ellis: Polynesian Researches , London 1831, p. 598
- ^ Norma McArthur: Island Populations of the Pacific , Honolulu 1967, p. 304
- ↑ Jean-Louis Tamatoa Candelot: Opera-bouffe sous les tropiques - Lorsque deux petits royaumes voulurent devenir anglais (Histoire de Rurutu et Rimatara). In: Tahiti-Pacifique Magazine, July 1999
- ↑ The expedition stayed on Raivavae from May 16 to June 22, 1956. Thor Heyerdahl and Edwin Ferdon: Archeology of Easter Island (Vol. 1) . Publishing House Stockholm 1961, p. 18
