CURRENT RESEARCH INTERESTS

Prehistoric Archaeology in Oceania

Visit the Oceanic Archaeology Lab Web Pages.

During the 1996-97 academic year Prof. Kirch's research was heavily focused on his project on Late Prehistoric Transformation of Hawaiian Sociopolitical Organization, funded by the National Science Foundation (FD96-0069), and by the National Geographic Committee on Research and Exploration. The fall semester was spent in analyzing survey and excavation data obtained during a 2-month field season in June-July 1996. Considerable effort was expended in the development of a computerized, digital database of settlement pattern survey data for an 8-square kilometer survey area in Kahikinui, Maui, encompassing some 1200 archaeological sites. During the spring semester, from February-April, a second field season was carried out in Kahikinui, with Prof. Kirch on a change-of-duty station assignment. Three UC Berkeley graduate students and four undergraduates were involved full-time in this field research, and the costs of their participation were borne by Prof. Kirch's research grants. The field survey of the intermediate zone (between 150-300 m elevation) was completed, and test excavations were carried out at some 16 sites. These have provided materials from which a basic chronology of the survey area will be developed.

Last modified 7 December 1999.