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Examining the Origin of Fortifications in East Timor: Social and Environmental Factors

2012; Routledge; Volume: 7; Issue: 2 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1080/15564894.2011.619245

1556-1828

Sue O’Connor, Andrew McWilliam, Jack N. Fenner, Sally Brockwell,

Geology and Paleoclimatology Research

ABSTRACT The remains of fortified archaeological sites abound in hilltop locations on the island of East Timor (Timor-Leste). Archaeologists have linked the emergence of these fortified settlements with environmental change. Some point to a period of reduced rainfall and increased environmental fluctuations beginning about AD 1000, while others cite relatively large-scale climate change during the post-AD 1300 transition from the Medieval Warm Period to the Little Ice Age. Both groups link environmental change to resource unpredictability which in turn leads to inter-group conflict. Of course environmental change is not the only possible trigger for conflict; a variety of social or economic factors could also be responsible. Here we present data on three fortified sites in East Timor, two of which have been dated, and combine these new data with previous work to develop a new chronology for fortifications in eastern East Timor. We then evaluate potential environmental and social factors against this chronology and other archaeological, historical, and ethnohistoric evidence. This assessment indicates that social factors, particularly the impact of increased sandalwood trade, were likely more important drivers of fortification and conflict in East Timor than environmental change. Keywords: East Timorfortificationsorigin of conflictenvironmental changesocial impact of trade ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS In East Timor we extend our thanks and appreciation to staff of the Ministry of Education and Culture, and the National Directorate of Forestry in the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries who assisted us in the course of this research. Permissions for the archaeological excavations and surveys were obtained from the Ministry of Education and Culture. We would particularly like to thank Abilio da Silva, Cecília Assis, and Virgílio Simith for facilitating this process. We also wish to acknowledge the support of the Director of Protected Areas and National Parks, National Directorate of Forestry, Manuel Mendes, who gave us permission to carry out excavations at Macapainara and survey at the east end of the island—areas which lie within the boundaries of the Nino Konis Santana National Park. We would also like to acknowledge the people of Tutuala, Com, and Moro-Parlamento, whose enthusiastic support and assistance made this research possible. This study was supported by Australian Research Council Discovery Grant DP0878543 and conducted under the auspices of the Australian National University.