Iron ax head unearthed — and archaeologists find something ‘mysterious’ underneath
.png "Archaeologists excavated more than 1,500 artifacts — including “mysterious shells” — from two islands in French Polynesia, according to The University of Sydney.")
In the second half of the 1800s, a group of Catholic missionaries gathered a group of school-age boys in French Polynesia and taught them how to grow, harvest and process pearl shells.
Eventually, three of the shells ended up buried in a hole beneath an iron ax. And that’s where they stayed for more than 100 years.
That is, until a team of archaeologists began excavating the area and unearthed the “mysterious pearl shells,” according to a Feb. 1 news release from The University of Sydney.
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The team, led by associate professor and archaeologist James Flexner, excavated more than 1,500 objects from six different sites on the islands of Aukena and Akamaru, the university said. The discoveries date to the 19th century, when missionaries lived on the islands.
Remains of houses that belonged to priests were found, as well as a boys school, experts said. Some of the houses were attached to the country’s oldest church, St Raphaël, which was built in 1837.
Among their discoveries, archaeologists said their “most intriguing find” came from a trench at the boys school.
That’s where they found the iron ax head — and beneath it three complete pearl shells.
“Traditionally, in French Polynesia, pearl shells were used for fishing lures, tattooing needles, pendants and figurines,” the university said. “By the 1840s, they were harvested en masse and exported around the world. The missionary endeavour in Mangareva was supported by Polynesian people cultivating and preparing thousands of tonnes of the valuable shells.”
Archaeologists think the shells are likely evidence of missionaries teaching local boys how to work with the mollusks.
Hundreds of other complete and fragmented pearl shells were also found, experts said. These are remnants from the island’s “former pearl shell industry,” and they would have been used to craft objects such as buttons or decorative inlay.
The team also unearthed a small bronze crucifix from the school.
“Sometimes you find individual things that tell an amazing and immediate story,” Flexner said in the release. “This would have been something very personal — the boy would have worn it every day on his body.”
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A rich trove of glass fragments was also found at a priest house, according to the university.
These pieces equated to “dozens of bottles of gin, champagne and wine, as well as perfume and medicine imported from France, Britain, and the Netherlands.”
Two more excavations on the islands are planned in coming years, the university said.
Aukena and Akamaru are part of the Gambier Islands of French Polynesia.
This story was originally published February 1, 2024 at 2:41 PM with the headline "Iron ax head unearthed — and archaeologists find something ‘mysterious’ underneath."
