Eiao
 Vaituhabay on Eiao | |
 | |
| Geography | |
|---|---|
| Location | South Pacific Ocean |
| Coordinates | 8°00′S140°42′W/ 8°S 140.7°W |
| Archipelago | Marquesas Islands |
| Area | 43.8 km2(16.9 sq mi) |
| Highest elevation | 576 m (1890 ft) |
| Administration | |
| Overseas country | French Polynesia |
| Demographics | |
| Population | 0 (2024) |
| Pop. density | 0/km2(0/sq mi) |
Eiaois the largest of the extreme northwesternMarquesas Islands.The island is uninhabited, but is administratively part of thecommune(municipality) ofNuku-Hiva,itself in theadministrative subdivisionof theMarquesas Islands.
As of 2022, the only settlement on the Island is a small shelter on the north coast of Vaithua bay with a water tap. There is some small manmade structures in the north of the island, most likely for archeological purposes. There is a small shrine ofMother Marysomewhere along a trail to the plateau at the top of the island.
Geography
[edit]
Eiao is a remnant of acalderawall in a 5 million year old volcano which measured 25 km across.[1]The island is a 12km long and 4 km wide crescent shape measuring 50 km squared.[2]It is often considered one of the biggest desert islands on earth. The center of this island is the high Tohuanui plateau, rising on the east side to 576 meters abovesea level(1,890 feet), much of which has been devastated by herds of feral sheep and other animals brought here by humans.[3]This plateau is a red desert which covers around 50-60% of the island.[2]The Hanataaitoki Valley is contained in this plateau. High coastal cliffs border the south side of the island. The rest of the Island is mainly filled with tropical fauna, including coconut and candlenut trees. There is one good anchorage, found on the western side of the island atVaituha.Another small bay exists on the southwest side of the island, known as Opituha Bay. On the northwest side of the island a sheltered bay known as Charner Bay is located.[4]
History
[edit]Pre-European
[edit]In pre-European times, the bodies of chiefs from parts ofTe I'iwere taken to Eiao for burial.
Eiao was at one time home to aMarquesan tribecalled the Tuametaki. Archaeological investigations have discovered workshops for the production ofstone tools,especiallyadzes,made from localbasalt.[5]These tools have been found in archaeological sites on other islands as far asKiribati,providing evidence for prehistoric interisland voyaging within this island group.[6][2]In sites around polynesia, it was estimated that around 50% of adzes came from Eiao at the peak.[2]Broken adzes and unused chips of bassalt were found all across the southern part of the island and plateau. Much of the production settlements were located along the northern plateau, primarily in the Hanataaitoki valley. This settlement included 5 housing sites, and many industrial tools and stations, all suspected to be from about the 14th-17th centuries.[7]The population of the island during this phase was estimated at between 600 and 900 people.[8]
Post-European Contact
[edit]The first non-Polynesian encounter with the island was in 1791 by theAmericansea captainJoseph Ingraham,who named itKnox Islandin honour of theU.S. Secretary of Warat that time,Henry Knox.Other names given to this island by Western explorers includeMasse,Fremantle,andRobert.The island was uninhabited at the time of its "discovery" by Europeans.[5]
In the late 19th century, the island was briefly used as aleper colonyisland, although that enterprise was eventually abandoned because of the frequentdroughts,and the difficulty of reliably landing supplies on the island. From 1962 to 1963,Georges de Cauneslived in aVaithuabay alone. This was to perform a radio show based on the novel,Robinson Crusoe.This was ended in around 100 days due to health complications.[2]In the 1970s, the island was the site of extensiveFrenchmilitary activity, while it was being explored as a possible site fornuclear weapons testing.As of 1972, three drilling operations found the island to be too fragile to withstand testing.[2]In 1992, the Marquesan Nature Reserves were declared, making this island theEiao Island Nature Reserve.[citation needed]This is a first step toward protecting itsecosystem,which includes a number ofendangered species,some of which areendemic.Before the creation of the reserve, theEiao monarch,a bird in the orderpasseriformes,became extinct.
In 2010, Centre International pour la Recherche Archéologique en Polynésie, or (CIRAP), organized a research mission to the island to study the archeological relavence of the island. This was ended after 50 days on the island.[2]In May 2022 public consultations began on listing the island as a UNESCOWorld Heritage Site.[9]
Oral traditions and legends about the island include a story of Peruvian treasure brought by some Spaniards being hidden there. Other stories tell that during World War II, a German submarine arrived there secretly to hide a Nazi treasure.[2]These stories lack credibility.
Climate
[edit]The climate on the island is mainly dry and arid, with little rain throughout the year. Most day's are sunny with few clouds. The months of March and April have the most unusual weather.
| Climate data for Eiao, French Polynesia | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 74 (23) |
74 (23) |
75 (24) |
75 (24) |
75 (24) |
74 (23) |
73 (23) |
73 (23) |
73 (23) |
73 (23) |
73 (23) |
74 (23) |
74 (23) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 72 (22) |
73 (23) |
73 (23) |
74 (23) |
73 (23) |
73 (23) |
72 (22) |
71 (22) |
71 (22) |
71 (22) |
72 (22) |
72 (22) |
72 (22) |
| Averageprecipitationinches (mm) | 2.0 (51) |
2.5 (64) |
4.8 (120) |
4.3 (110) |
2.0 (51) |
1.4 (36) |
0.6 (15) |
0.5 (13) |
0.3 (7.6) |
0.4 (10) |
0.3 (7.6) |
0.4 (10) |
19.5 (495.2) |
| Source: Meteoblue.com "Records and Averages for Eiao".
Web:[1]. | |||||||||||||
See also
[edit]
References
[edit]- ^Lambrides, Ariana & Weisler, Marshall & Charleux, Michel. (2018). New taxonomic records and regional trends for the Marquesan prehistoric marine fishery, Eiao Island, Polynesia. 9.
- ^abcdefghCharleux, Michel."Eiao, The Mystery Island".Welcome Tahiti.RetrievedJune 23,2024.
- ^"Eiao, l'île rouge des Marquises s'expose du 20 au 25 Août à l'Assemblée"(in French). Tahiti Infos. 15 August 2012.Retrieved26 November2022.
- ^Polynésie Française[French Polynesia] (in French). French Polynesia. 2023.
{{cite book}}:CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) - ^ab"Des" archéo-Robinson "en mission de 100 jours à Eiao"(in French). Tahiti Infos. 6 February 2013.Retrieved6 December2022.
- ^Allen, Melinda S. (1 June 2014)."Marquesan colonisation chronologies and post-colonisation interaction: Implications for Hawaiian origins and the 'Marquesan Homeland' hypothesis".Journal of Pacific Archaeology.5(2): 1–17.Retrieved25 August2020.
- ^Lambrides, Ariana & Weisler, Marshall & Charleux, Michel. (2018). New taxonomic records and regional trends for the Marquesan prehistoric marine fishery, Eiao Island, Polynesia. 9.
- ^"Mission archéologique à Eiao: après les fouilles, les analyses"(in French). Tahiti Infos. 26 June 2013.Retrieved6 December2022.
- ^"Marquises à l'Unesco: L'avant-dernière étape avec la population"(in French). Tahiti Infos. 1 May 2022.Retrieved6 December2022.
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