Burial mounds are widely scattered across the Tongatapu landscape. When you land at Fua’amotu airport, they line the runway. When you drive into Nuku’alofa, they can be seen to either side of the road. All but a few are without name, and the individuals buried within are long lost to history. Yet these mounds represent a story that literally is inscribed on the landscape. Using airborne LiDAR data, a computer application was developed to count the mounds. The total was astounding, including upwards of 10,000 of these sites on Tongatapu - about 40 mounds for every square kilometre. By Travis Freeland and David V. Burley.
You are here
Results for Ancient Tonga
Tuesday 5 March 2019
Brisbane, Australia
A recent study of four ancient bone tattoo comb tools, found in Tonga in 1963-64, has revealed they are the oldest confirmed in the world, and surprisingly two are made from human bone, say researchers in Australia. Radiocarbon dating determined the tools to be 2,700 years old
Tuesday 13 December 2016
Premium content
Nuku'alofa, Tonga
The largest of four cruise ships visiting the capital this week, the Radiance of the Seas today brought 2250 passengers to visit Nuku’alofa, with some choosing to visit and experience Tongan culture at Ancient Tonga Cultural Tours in Fangaloto, while others brought Christmas buzz to the Central Business District.
Premium content
