Hane, Marquesas Islands

A key archaeological site on the island of Ua Huka in the Marquesas Islands of French Polynesia, first excavated by Yosihiko H. Sinoto in 1964-65. The Hane dune site is considered one of the most important sites in central Eastern Polynesia. Excavations in 2009 revealed a controlled stratigraphy spanning nearly six centuries, from initial human settlement around the mid-10th century to abandonment around the mid-16th century. The lowest levels provided the oldest dates of occupation in the Marquesas archipelago, proving colonization by the 10th century AD. Over 12,000 bird bones were recovered, along with evidence of early marine resource exploitation and later construction of stone dwelling platforms called paepae around 1200 AD.