Ancient Tongan City Hints at Civilisation in the Pacific 700 Year Earlier

Archeologists from Australia have made a remarkable discovery of a previously unknown ancient city in the Kingdom of Tonga, which challenges the historical narrative surrounding settlement in the Pacific Islands. Australian National University study author Phillip Parton, along with archaeologist Geoffrey Clark, estimated the “earth structures” were built in Tongatapu—the largest island in the country—around 300 AD. “This is 700 years earlier than previously thought,” Mr. Parton said. Located 7.5 kilometres from Tonga’s capital Nukuálofa in a village called Mu’a, almost 10,000 earth-covered mounds can be found, suggesting urbanisation and the existence of a city well before the arrival of Dutch explorers in 1616 whom Abel Tasman followed....