Pulotu
Database of Austronesian Religions
| Question | Response | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Pre-Austronesian population | Present: Clear evidence of human occupation prior to Austronesian settlement | Bellwood 1995: 109 |
| Christian influence on supernatural belief | No evidence of influence but in a region where contact is likely (No evidence of Christian influence on supernatural belief, but culture is known to have had (or is likely to have had) contact with Christian societies at or prior to the time focus in question.) | Hviding 1996: 102-107 |
| Hindu / Buddhist influence on supernatural belief | No evidence of influence and not in region of known contact (No evidence of Hindu / Buddhist influence on supernatural belief, and culture is unlikely to have had contact with Hindu or Buddhist societies at or prior to to the time focus in question.) | Cribb 2000: 2.21 |
| (Low) contact with other societies (SCCS v 787) | Frequent, through trade, warfare, travel, etc. (e.g. yearly or most years) | Hviding 1996: 89-115 |
| Islamic influence on supernatural belief | No evidence of influence and not in region of known contact (No evidence of Islamic influence on supernatural belief, and culture is unlikely to have had contact with Islamic societies at or prior to the time focus in question.) | Cribb 2000: Map 2.23 |
| Distance to closest landmass inhabited by a different culture (km) | 0 | Hviding 1996: 96 |
| Distance to nearest continent (km) | 1525 | Calculator 2014; Hviding 1996: 36 |
| Question | Response | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Longitude of culture’s location (°) | 157.8 | 2014; Bayliss-Smith et al. 2003 |
| Latitude of culture’s location (°) | -8.5 | 2014; Bayliss-Smith et al. 2003 |
| Question | Response | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Number of islands inhabited by culture | Four or more | Hviding 1996: 36, 89 |
| Question | Response | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Maximum elevation (meters) | 860 | Clark 2008: 64 |
| Island Size (km²) | 3365 | Clark 2008: 64 |
| Question | Response | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Estimate of culture population size at relevant time focus | 5000 | Hviding 1996: 378-381; Bayliss-Smith et al. 2003 |
| Importance of Matrilateral descent (V.2) | Medium (Matrilateral descent plays an important role in determining social status and / or group membership, but is not the most important form of descent.) | Hviding 1996: 147 |
| Importance of Patrilateral descent (V.2) | High (Patrilateral descent plays an important role in determining social status and / or group membership, and is more important than any other form of descent.) | Hviding 1996: 147 |
| Estimated population of largest political community | 100-999 | Hviding 1996: 132 |
| Political Authority | Local (encompasses the local community and / or multiple sublocal groups) | Hviding 1996: 86-87, 154-155; Somerville 1897: 393-394 |
| Question | Response | Source |
|---|---|---|
| (No) conflict (social or political) within the local community (SCCS v 767) | Endemic (Conflict is frequent, is often violent, and is a pervasive aspect of daily life, e.g. feuding). | Hviding 1996: 86-87 |
| (No) internal warfare (between communities of the same society) (SCCS v 773) | Common, at least every five years | Hviding 1996: 79-130 |
| (No) external warfare (with other societies) (SCCS v 774) | Frequent, occurring at least yearly | Hviding 1996: 79-130 |
| Question | Response | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Metalworking | Absent | Hviding 1996: 103-104 |
| Question | Response | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Animal husbandry as a source of food | Minor | Somerville 1897: 381 |
| Land-based hunting performed by individuals | Minor | Hviding 1996: 97; Somerville 1897: 381 |
| Land-based gathering | Medium | Hviding 1996: 97, 214; Somerville 1897: 381 |
| Land-based hunting performed by one or more groups | Minor | Hviding 1996: 97; Somerville 1897: 381 |
| Agriculture / Horticulture | Major (one of the most important sources of food) | Hviding 1996: 75, 97, 116-118 |
| Question | Response | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Water-based gathering | Major | Hviding 1996: 63, 69, 97, 211, 214; Somerville 1897: 381 |
| Fishing and water-based hunting performed by one or more groups | Major | Hviding 1996: 97, 210-214; 381 |
| Fishing and water-based hunting performed by individuals | Major | Hviding 1996: 97, 210-224; Somerville 1897: 381 |
| Question | Response | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Trade / wage labour as a source of food | Major | Hviding 1996: 97, 116-117 |
| Question | Response | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Was a foreign religion adopted through a top-down (those high in the social hierarchy converted first, followed by the general population) or a bottom-up (the general population converted first, followed by those high in the social hierarchy) process? | Primarily a top-down process. | Hviding 1996: 119-120 |
| Use of force in conversion | Low (most communities adopted the new religion either voluntarily or due to pressure from other communities of the same culture) | Hviding 1996: 118-124 |
| Adoption of a world religion | Present and predominant (At one time or another during the post-contact period, at least 75% of the indigenous population practiced a world religion.) | Hviding 1996: 51 |
| Resident missionary involvement in conversion process | Present, and from non-Austronesian societies (Resident foreign missionaries, at least one of whom was from a non-Austronesian society, played an important role in the conversion process.) | Hviding 1996: 119-120 |
| Question | Response | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Syncretic religious movements | Present, and survived to the present day | Hviding 1996: 51, 122-123 |
| Question | Response | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Replacement-level immigration | Medium (Replacement-level immigration occurred. The immigrant culture had a population size more than 50% of that of the indigenous population at one time or another, but this figure never exceeded 100%.) | Hviding 1996: 98-99, 381 |
| Language shift | Low (The indigenous language remained the sole or primary means of communication for most of the indigenous population for the duration of the post-contact period.) | Hviding 1996: 50-51 |
| Foreign education systems | High (At one time or another during the post-contact period over 75% of children received some at least a basic non-indigenous education.) | Hviding 1996: 46, 66 |
| Foreign government systems | Present, and of high importance (At one time or another during the post-contact period the culture was subject to a foreign government system that controlled most important decisions.) | Hviding 1996: 10, 110-113 |
| Question | Response | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Exportation of goods to other cultures | Absent (Exports were never part of the local economy.) | Hviding 1996: 66-71 |
| Question | Response | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Vehicles and roads | Absent (At no time during the post-contact period did most members of the culture have access either to roads or motor vehicles.) | 2014 |
| Question | Response | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Loss of autonomy during postcontact period | High (On at least one occasion during the post-contact period, the culture came under the political dominance of a foreign power, and this event resulted in considerable loss of autonomy.) | Hviding 1996: 107-113 |
| Nature of loss of autonomy – voluntary vs. forced | Largely involuntary (autonomy was lost largely as a result of external force) | Hviding 1996: 107-113 |