This summer, NDSU faculty and students conducted archaeological, geological, and geospatial research on the island of Ofu in American Samoa. Located in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, about half-way between Hawaii and Australia, the Samoan Archipelago is part of western Polynesia. The project was directed by Jeff Clark, who was assisted by Donald Schwert and Stephanie Day, both in Geosciences, and Seth Quintus, currently a lecturer in anthropology. The research team included six NDSU graduate and undergraduate students and up to eight Samoan students and field assistants. The NSF-funded research was focused on excavations at three coastal and two inland sites that are 1,000-3,000 years old. The team also used airborne light detection and ranging (LiDAR) data captured last summer in conjunction with GPS devices and ground survey to locate and map ancient residential (house terraces, ditches, pits) structures and geomorphological features. They also used a laser scanner to create 3D digital models of selected structures for further analysis and for educational purposes for the Samoa people. Plans for future research in Samoa are under development.
Posted on: Thu, 26 Sep 2013 17:12:47 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015