Guillaume Molle
Biographic Data
| ID | 926830 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Guillaume Molle |
| GIVEN NAMES | Guillaume |
| FAMILY NAME | Molle |
| SIGNATURE | MOLLE G |
| AFFILIATIONS | University of French Polynesia |
| ORCID | 0000-0002-4680-9599 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 22 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 22 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 22 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2011 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2026 |
| H-INDEX | 2 |
An Experimental Approach on Pearl Shell ( Pinctada margaritifera ) for a Microwear Study of Shell Artefacts From French Polynesia
Pinctada margaritifera (black‐lipped pearl oyster) artefacts are ubiquitous in the archaeological record throughout the Pacific and particularly in Polynesia. Despite efforts towards the development of typologies, the lack of microwear and use‐wear studies has prevented the development of technological approaches. We used 20 pearl shell valves to test, examine and create a reference for the development of microwear traces and to test proposed cha…
Retrouver la voix de nos objets: Démarche muséale et revendications culturelles au fenua ènata
Aux Îles Marquises, en Polynésie française, le patrimoine culturel matériel, qu’il soit archéologique ou contemporain, recouvre de multiples enjeux. À la fois culturels, identitaires, pédagogiques et économiques, ils ont été réaffirmés par l’inscription récente de l’archipel au patrimoine mondial de l’UNESCO. Cet article s’appuie sur l’exemple de l’île de Ua Huna, où un nouveau musée fut récemment construit sur le site culturel et communautaire T…
A micro‐geoarchaeological investigation of a cultivation pit ( maite ) on Teti'aroa atoll, Central‐East Polynesia
Cultivation pits represented the principal form of horticultural features developed by past atoll communities in Central‐East Polynesia (CEP), and they are still utilised on some atolls in Oceania. The majority of information about the use of cultivation pits in CEP derives from ethnographic and preliminary archaeological investigations. The lack of excavations with rigorous stratigraphic sampling and analyses has constrained the recovery of envi…
The archaeology of shellfishing practices on Ua Huka, Marquesas Archipelago (French Polynesia)
Shellfish remains are ubiquitous to coastal archaeological sites in the Marquesas but have seldom been the focus of dedicated investigations into their contribution to past diet and daily life. On the island of Ua Huka, in the northern group of the archipelago, people have consumed a variety of shellfish since their arrival on the island around the early 12th century AD. By analysing assemblages from five coastal sites spanning from the early set…
Turtles for the ancestors: A zooarchaeological study of ritual deposits on Fakahina, Tuamotu archipelago (French Polynesia)
Rituals and feasting ceremonies at Polynesianmaraedepict culturally complex relationships between humans and animals that cannot be explained by subsistence alone. In Central‐East Polynesia, this topic still requires the elaboration of a “ritual zooarchaeology” framework. Using sea turtle assemblages from three sacred sites on Fakahina atoll (Tuamotu), this study offers a preliminary approach to faunal deposits from ritual contexts. Following sys…
The sacred stone from the sea. Archaeological and ethnographic perspectives on the ritual value of coral across the Pacific
The Pacific Islands offer a variety of marine environments providing peoples in the present and past with abundant coral materials, a “stone from the sea”. Archaeologists have long recognised the importance of coral in ancient contexts, whether as gravel, natural branches, squared blocks or cut‐and‐dress slabs. Coral was also used to manufacture tools such as files or pounders and incorporated in monumental ceremonial architecture as a favoured c…
"You Don't Have to Live Like a Refugee": New Insights on the Defensive, Economic, and Ritual Functions of a Fortified Pā on Ua Huka, Marquesas Islands
In Central-East Polynesia (CEP), development of warfare remains poorly documented except for the fortified villages of Rapa iti. In the Marquesas islands, previous research briefly reported the existence of defensive structures, especially some fortified pā, in areas usually qualified as ‘marginal’. However, no site has yet been investigated in depth. In 2015, within the context of the larger Ua Huka project, we documented the pā of Mahaki, locat…
Coordinated 14C and 230Th dating of Kitchen Cave rockshelter, Gambier (Mangareva) Islands, French Polynesia: Comparing 230Th coral dates with Bayesian model ages
An archaeomalacological investigation of chitons on the Hane Dune site, Ua Huka, Marquesas Islands
The contribution of shellfish to ancient subsistence has been overlooked in many archaeological studies in Central-East Polynesia. Archaeomalacology, however, can shed light on a wider range of exploited mollusks. In this paper we investigate the exploitation of the chiton Acanthopleura gemmata from the Hane Dune site, Ua Huka, Marquesas Islands. Although several previous studies have highlighted the importance of chitons in Hane’s archaeological…
Hokikakika: History and Archaeology of a Catholic Village in the Eastern Tuamotus
On Fakahina atoll (eastern Tuamotus), the remains of Hokikakika village, abandoned in the early 20th century, reveal the history of the christianization of the region by catholic Fathers of the Sacred Hearts. The mission itself, at the intersection of the village’s two main roads, but also full-masonry houses, masonry substructures and secondary features (cisterns, wells, outdoor kitchens, bread oven) testify for the impact of the missionaries in…
Geochemical sourcing of volcanic materials imported into Teti'aroa Atoll shows multiple long‐distance interactions in the Windward Society Islands, French Polynesia
Teti'aroa, located 28 nautical miles (52 km) north of Tahiti, lies at the periphery of the Windward Society islands. At the end of the eighteenth century, this atoll was presumably controlled by the chiefdom of Porionu'u, which included the districts of Pare and Arue on the north coast of Tahiti. This situation is confirmed by a number of ethnohistorical accounts and oral traditions describing an intense traffic of basic resources between the ato…
The long-term history of Teti'aroa (Society Islands, French Polynesia): New archaeological and ethnohistorical investigations
Teti'aroa is the only atoll in the Windward group of the Society Islands, French Polynesia. It has been described in the ethnohistorical record as a secondary place of residence for the Tahitian royal family of Pare in the 18th Century. However, Teti'aroa’s history beyond this remains relatively unknown as the atoll is archaeologically understudied. Here we report the preliminary results of a project, started in 2015, which aims at documenting th…
Putting new francophone archaeology on the Pacific map: Current work of early‐career researchers in “archéologie océaniste
On 24 November 2016, an international workshop bringing together francophone early‐career researchers and practitioners currently active in the field of Pacific archaeology was organised at The Australian National University. As access to opportunities for transnational exchange and representation of their work is not always easy for this group, the aim was to provide an occasion for the ECRs to present their work in English to the Australia‐base…
Coastal subsistence and settlement at the Hane dune site, Ua Huka (Marquesas Islands): New insights from Pacific rat (Rattus exulans) stable isotope analysis
Curve of the Hook: An Archaeologist in Polynesia
Following the recent publication of Patrick V. Kirch’s memoirs, the University of Hawai‘i Press offers us a book dedicated to another pioneering figure of Polynesian archaeology. The name of Yosihi
Exploring religious practices on Polynesian atolls: A comprehensive architectural approach towards the marae complex in the Tuamotu Islands
International audience
Mid- to Late Prehistoric Landscape Change, Settlement Histories, and Agricultural Practices on Maupiti, Society Islands (Central Eastern Polynesia)
We report on excavations and dating results from Maupiti Island, the smallest high island in the Leeward group of the Society Islands. Our discussion focuses on archaeological and paleo-ethnobotanical data from three coastal sites and two interior sites, in addition to presenting preliminary results of an inland reconnaissance survey. The first goal was to outline the settlement history of Maupiti, including aspects of coastal and inland habitati…
Nuancing the Marquesan Post-contact Demographic Decline: An Archaeological and Historical Case Study on Ua Huka Island
The question of demographic decline in the Marquesas Islands is here reinvestigated through an integrated approach to the particular case of Ua Huka. We first attempt to propose a new population estimate for the period prior to European contact, thanks to an archaeologically based method that relies on the length of sleeping areas available in the housing structures recorded in the valleys. From this estimate, we then use ethnohistorical accounts…
Human ecodynamics in theMangarevaIslands: A stratified sequence fromNenega‐ItiRockShelter (siteAGA‐3,AgakauitaiIsland)
TheGambierIslands (FrenchPolynesia) are noted for their extreme deforestation and low biodiversity in the post‐European contact period. We report on the archaeological and palaeoecological investigation of a stratified rock shelter (siteAGA‐3) onAgakauitaiIsland, revealing a sequence of environmental transformation followingPolynesian colonisation of the archipelago. Radiocarbon dates indicate use of the rock shelter from the 13th to the mid‐17th…
Reinvestigating a key site for P olynesian prehistory: New results from the H ane dune site, U a H uka ( M arquesas)
Since the first excavations by S inoto and K ellum in 1964–1965, the Hane dune site, situated on U a H uka, M arquesas Islands, has been considered as a key site in central E astern P olynesia and, as such, has been utilised in different colonisation models. However, some problems remained, particularly due to the lack of full publication of the original excavation results, and it appeared that these issues could only be resolved with new investi…
Approche techno-typologique des peignes à tatouer en nacre polynésiens. Un moyen d’appréhender la pensée technique
Nous proposons ici l’étude technologique d’une collection de 17 peignes à tatouer en nacre, découverts en contexte archéologique dans trois archipels de Polynésie française. Elle offre une reconstitution des processus de fabrication intervenant dans la chaîne opératoire et permet aussi d’intégrer ces objets originaux aux typologies existantes. Les peignes en nacre sont également replacés pour la première fois dans une perspective diachronique qui…
New Perspectives on the Occupation of Hatuana Dune Site, Ua Huka, Marquesas Islands
New archaeological excavations were conducted in 2009 in the Hatuana dune site, Ua Huka, Marquesas archipelago (French Polynesia). The objectives of this research were to determine the complete stratigraphy of the western section of the site, and to obtain charcoal samples for radiocarbon dating. The results are presented here, updating previous dates by E. Conte, and enhancing our understanding of the place of the Hatuana coastal area in the isl…
Human ecodynamics in theMangarevaIslands: A stratified sequence fromNenega‐ItiRockShelter (siteAGA‐3,AgakauitaiIsland)
TheGambierIslands (FrenchPolynesia) are noted for their extreme deforestation and low biodiversity in the post‐European contact period. We report on the archaeological and palaeoecological investigation of a stratified rock shelter (siteAGA‐3) onAgakauitaiIsland, revealing a sequence of environmental transformation followingPolynesian colonisation of the archipelago. Radiocarbon dates indicate use of the rock shelter from the 13th to the mid‐17th…
Turtles for the ancestors: A zooarchaeological study of ritual deposits on Fakahina, Tuamotu archipelago (French Polynesia)
Rituals and feasting ceremonies at Polynesianmaraedepict culturally complex relationships between humans and animals that cannot be explained by subsistence alone. In Central‐East Polynesia, this topic still requires the elaboration of a “ritual zooarchaeology” framework. Using sea turtle assemblages from three sacred sites on Fakahina atoll (Tuamotu), this study offers a preliminary approach to faunal deposits from ritual contexts. Following sys…
The sacred stone from the sea. Archaeological and ethnographic perspectives on the ritual value of coral across the Pacific
The Pacific Islands offer a variety of marine environments providing peoples in the present and past with abundant coral materials, a “stone from the sea”. Archaeologists have long recognised the importance of coral in ancient contexts, whether as gravel, natural branches, squared blocks or cut‐and‐dress slabs. Coral was also used to manufacture tools such as files or pounders and incorporated in monumental ceremonial architecture as a favoured c…
An archaeomalacological investigation of chitons on the Hane Dune site, Ua Huka, Marquesas Islands
The contribution of shellfish to ancient subsistence has been overlooked in many archaeological studies in Central-East Polynesia. Archaeomalacology, however, can shed light on a wider range of exploited mollusks. In this paper we investigate the exploitation of the chiton Acanthopleura gemmata from the Hane Dune site, Ua Huka, Marquesas Islands. Although several previous studies have highlighted the importance of chitons in Hane’s archaeological…
Coastal subsistence and settlement at the Hane dune site, Ua Huka (Marquesas Islands): New insights from Pacific rat (Rattus exulans) stable isotope analysis
New Perspectives on the Occupation of Hatuana Dune Site, Ua Huka, Marquesas Islands
New archaeological excavations were conducted in 2009 in the Hatuana dune site, Ua Huka, Marquesas archipelago (French Polynesia). The objectives of this research were to determine the complete stratigraphy of the western section of the site, and to obtain charcoal samples for radiocarbon dating. The results are presented here, updating previous dates by E. Conte, and enhancing our understanding of the place of the Hatuana coastal area in the isl…
Approche techno-typologique des peignes à tatouer en nacre polynésiens. Un moyen d’appréhender la pensée technique
Nous proposons ici l’étude technologique d’une collection de 17 peignes à tatouer en nacre, découverts en contexte archéologique dans trois archipels de Polynésie française. Elle offre une reconstitution des processus de fabrication intervenant dans la chaîne opératoire et permet aussi d’intégrer ces objets originaux aux typologies existantes. Les peignes en nacre sont également replacés pour la première fois dans une perspective diachronique qui…
Reinvestigating a key site for P olynesian prehistory: New results from the H ane dune site, U a H uka ( M arquesas)
Since the first excavations by S inoto and K ellum in 1964–1965, the Hane dune site, situated on U a H uka, M arquesas Islands, has been considered as a key site in central E astern P olynesia and, as such, has been utilised in different colonisation models. However, some problems remained, particularly due to the lack of full publication of the original excavation results, and it appeared that these issues could only be resolved with new investi…
Mid- to Late Prehistoric Landscape Change, Settlement Histories, and Agricultural Practices on Maupiti, Society Islands (Central Eastern Polynesia)
We report on excavations and dating results from Maupiti Island, the smallest high island in the Leeward group of the Society Islands. Our discussion focuses on archaeological and paleo-ethnobotanical data from three coastal sites and two interior sites, in addition to presenting preliminary results of an inland reconnaissance survey. The first goal was to outline the settlement history of Maupiti, including aspects of coastal and inland habitati…
Nuancing the Marquesan Post-contact Demographic Decline: An Archaeological and Historical Case Study on Ua Huka Island
The question of demographic decline in the Marquesas Islands is here reinvestigated through an integrated approach to the particular case of Ua Huka. We first attempt to propose a new population estimate for the period prior to European contact, thanks to an archaeologically based method that relies on the length of sleeping areas available in the housing structures recorded in the valleys. From this estimate, we then use ethnohistorical accounts…
Human ecodynamics in theMangarevaIslands: A stratified sequence fromNenega‐ItiRockShelter (siteAGA‐3,AgakauitaiIsland)
TheGambierIslands (FrenchPolynesia) are noted for their extreme deforestation and low biodiversity in the post‐European contact period. We report on the archaeological and palaeoecological investigation of a stratified rock shelter (siteAGA‐3) onAgakauitaiIsland, revealing a sequence of environmental transformation followingPolynesian colonisation of the archipelago. Radiocarbon dates indicate use of the rock shelter from the 13th to the mid‐17th…
Exploring religious practices on Polynesian atolls: A comprehensive architectural approach towards the marae complex in the Tuamotu Islands
International audience
Coastal subsistence and settlement at the Hane dune site, Ua Huka (Marquesas Islands): New insights from Pacific rat (Rattus exulans) stable isotope analysis
Curve of the Hook: An Archaeologist in Polynesia
Following the recent publication of Patrick V. Kirch’s memoirs, the University of Hawai‘i Press offers us a book dedicated to another pioneering figure of Polynesian archaeology. The name of Yosihi
Putting new francophone archaeology on the Pacific map: Current work of early‐career researchers in “archéologie océaniste
On 24 November 2016, an international workshop bringing together francophone early‐career researchers and practitioners currently active in the field of Pacific archaeology was organised at The Australian National University. As access to opportunities for transnational exchange and representation of their work is not always easy for this group, the aim was to provide an occasion for the ECRs to present their work in English to the Australia‐base…
Geochemical sourcing of volcanic materials imported into Teti'aroa Atoll shows multiple long‐distance interactions in the Windward Society Islands, French Polynesia
Teti'aroa, located 28 nautical miles (52 km) north of Tahiti, lies at the periphery of the Windward Society islands. At the end of the eighteenth century, this atoll was presumably controlled by the chiefdom of Porionu'u, which included the districts of Pare and Arue on the north coast of Tahiti. This situation is confirmed by a number of ethnohistorical accounts and oral traditions describing an intense traffic of basic resources between the ato…
The long-term history of Teti'aroa (Society Islands, French Polynesia): New archaeological and ethnohistorical investigations
Teti'aroa is the only atoll in the Windward group of the Society Islands, French Polynesia. It has been described in the ethnohistorical record as a secondary place of residence for the Tahitian royal family of Pare in the 18th Century. However, Teti'aroa’s history beyond this remains relatively unknown as the atoll is archaeologically understudied. Here we report the preliminary results of a project, started in 2015, which aims at documenting th…
Hokikakika: History and Archaeology of a Catholic Village in the Eastern Tuamotus
On Fakahina atoll (eastern Tuamotus), the remains of Hokikakika village, abandoned in the early 20th century, reveal the history of the christianization of the region by catholic Fathers of the Sacred Hearts. The mission itself, at the intersection of the village’s two main roads, but also full-masonry houses, masonry substructures and secondary features (cisterns, wells, outdoor kitchens, bread oven) testify for the impact of the missionaries in…
Coordinated 14C and 230Th dating of Kitchen Cave rockshelter, Gambier (Mangareva) Islands, French Polynesia: Comparing 230Th coral dates with Bayesian model ages
An archaeomalacological investigation of chitons on the Hane Dune site, Ua Huka, Marquesas Islands
The contribution of shellfish to ancient subsistence has been overlooked in many archaeological studies in Central-East Polynesia. Archaeomalacology, however, can shed light on a wider range of exploited mollusks. In this paper we investigate the exploitation of the chiton Acanthopleura gemmata from the Hane Dune site, Ua Huka, Marquesas Islands. Although several previous studies have highlighted the importance of chitons in Hane’s archaeological…
"You Don't Have to Live Like a Refugee": New Insights on the Defensive, Economic, and Ritual Functions of a Fortified Pā on Ua Huka, Marquesas Islands
In Central-East Polynesia (CEP), development of warfare remains poorly documented except for the fortified villages of Rapa iti. In the Marquesas islands, previous research briefly reported the existence of defensive structures, especially some fortified pā, in areas usually qualified as ‘marginal’. However, no site has yet been investigated in depth. In 2015, within the context of the larger Ua Huka project, we documented the pā of Mahaki, locat…
The sacred stone from the sea. Archaeological and ethnographic perspectives on the ritual value of coral across the Pacific
The Pacific Islands offer a variety of marine environments providing peoples in the present and past with abundant coral materials, a “stone from the sea”. Archaeologists have long recognised the importance of coral in ancient contexts, whether as gravel, natural branches, squared blocks or cut‐and‐dress slabs. Coral was also used to manufacture tools such as files or pounders and incorporated in monumental ceremonial architecture as a favoured c…
The archaeology of shellfishing practices on Ua Huka, Marquesas Archipelago (French Polynesia)
Shellfish remains are ubiquitous to coastal archaeological sites in the Marquesas but have seldom been the focus of dedicated investigations into their contribution to past diet and daily life. On the island of Ua Huka, in the northern group of the archipelago, people have consumed a variety of shellfish since their arrival on the island around the early 12th century AD. By analysing assemblages from five coastal sites spanning from the early set…
Turtles for the ancestors: A zooarchaeological study of ritual deposits on Fakahina, Tuamotu archipelago (French Polynesia)
Rituals and feasting ceremonies at Polynesianmaraedepict culturally complex relationships between humans and animals that cannot be explained by subsistence alone. In Central‐East Polynesia, this topic still requires the elaboration of a “ritual zooarchaeology” framework. Using sea turtle assemblages from three sacred sites on Fakahina atoll (Tuamotu), this study offers a preliminary approach to faunal deposits from ritual contexts. Following sys…
Retrouver la voix de nos objets: Démarche muséale et revendications culturelles au fenua ènata
Aux Îles Marquises, en Polynésie française, le patrimoine culturel matériel, qu’il soit archéologique ou contemporain, recouvre de multiples enjeux. À la fois culturels, identitaires, pédagogiques et économiques, ils ont été réaffirmés par l’inscription récente de l’archipel au patrimoine mondial de l’UNESCO. Cet article s’appuie sur l’exemple de l’île de Ua Huna, où un nouveau musée fut récemment construit sur le site culturel et communautaire T…
A micro‐geoarchaeological investigation of a cultivation pit ( maite ) on Teti'aroa atoll, Central‐East Polynesia
Cultivation pits represented the principal form of horticultural features developed by past atoll communities in Central‐East Polynesia (CEP), and they are still utilised on some atolls in Oceania. The majority of information about the use of cultivation pits in CEP derives from ethnographic and preliminary archaeological investigations. The lack of excavations with rigorous stratigraphic sampling and analyses has constrained the recovery of envi…
An Experimental Approach on Pearl Shell ( Pinctada margaritifera ) for a Microwear Study of Shell Artefacts From French Polynesia
Pinctada margaritifera (black‐lipped pearl oyster) artefacts are ubiquitous in the archaeological record throughout the Pacific and particularly in Polynesia. Despite efforts towards the development of typologies, the lack of microwear and use‐wear studies has prevented the development of technological approaches. We used 20 pearl shell valves to test, examine and create a reference for the development of microwear traces and to test proposed cha…
Pacific and Southeast Asian Studies (20 works) · Archaeology (19 works) · Geography (17 works) · Archaeology and ancient environmental studies (12 works) · Biology (8 works) · History (8 works) · Geology (7 works) · Ecology (6 works) · Atoll (5 works) · Geology and Paleoclimatology Research (5 works)