The transfer of kumara ('Ipomoea batatas') from East to South Polynesia and its dispersal in New Zealand

Whether kumara 'sweet potato' (Ipomoea batatas) arrived in South Polynesia with initial colonisation or later is discussed in the light of recent evidence from East Polynesia and by examination and statistical modelling of radiocarbon ages associated with kumara arrival and dispersal in Ne...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of the Polynesian Society 2020-12, Vol.129 (4), p.351-381
Main Authors: Anderson, Atholl, Petchey, Fiona
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Agriculture
Dispersal of plants
Economic aspects
Fertilizer movement
Gardening
Growth
Kūmara
Maori (New Zealand people)
Political sociology
Radiocarbon dating
Soils
Sweet potatoes
Vegetables
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Summary:Whether kumara 'sweet potato' (Ipomoea batatas) arrived in South Polynesia with initial colonisation or later is discussed in the light of recent evidence from East Polynesia and by examination and statistical modelling of radiocarbon ages associated with kumara arrival and dispersal in New Zealand. Largely unresolved difficulties in radiocarbon dating of horticultural sites preclude reaching a secure conclusion about the relative timing of kumara introduction, but strong evidence emerges of delayed dispersal southward and inland of kumara cultivation. In the short New Zealand chronology this may have been more significant than the date of arrival for the role of kumara cultivation in economic and political change.
ISSN:0032-4000
2230-5955
0032-4000
DOI:10.15286/JPS.129.4.351-382