Variation in tuna fish catches in pacific prehistory

The archaeological evidence from Pacific faunal assemblages held in the Museum of New Zealand, Te Papa Tongarewa, is reviewed. An emphasis on inshore fish and fishing is demonstrated, while evidence for offshore fish, such as tuna, is slight. Yet ethnographic accounts of fishing in the Pacific often contain detailed descriptions of offshore fishing expeditions to catch pelagic fish, including tuna, and these fish continue to occupy a significant place in the cultural life of many Pacific island communities. The uneven representation of tuna in archaeological sites is not thought to derive from any known taphonomic process, but fairly represents the relative abundance of tuna in catches throughout the Pacific. Discontinuities in catch frequency do not follow any known variations in natural abundance, and the preferred explanation is cultural choice. Moreover, in sites where tuna were a major component of the catch, there appears to be a small but consistent decline in their relative abundance, again believed to reflect cultural–historical, rather than natural, processes. It is suggested that the social importance, as well as economic aspects of tuna fishing, need to be incorporated in explanations for the presence of tuna in archaeological sites. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.