Dennis Evans

Research Interests :

Tongan and South Pacific Archaeology, Zooarchaeology, Dialectic and Critical Theory, Taphonomy.

Master's Research:

I am researching the primary introduction of pig to the Tongan archipelago. Pig is important to socio-economic dynamics throughout Near Oceania and Polynesia and has been suggested to be a major factor in the growth of chiefdom polities in Polynesia. Pig has also been correlated with horticultural practices by some researchers. This correlation establishes a terrestrial component to the hotly debated economy of the Lapita phase - the earliest cultural period on Tonga. Unfortunately, evidences of pig in Tonga during this period are not as certain despite support for horticulturalism. Understanding the role pig played in the prehistory of Tonga will help our understanding of the role of pig throughout Polynesia.