An island for gardens, an island for birds and voyaging: A settlement pattern for Kiritimati and Tabuaeran

Throughout this paper, the authors have taken a regional approach, pioneered by Weisler (1996), that allowed them to understand the contrasting settlement patterns on two adjacent “mystery islands”. In their view, wet Tabuaeran was the primary locus of settlement, with dry Kiritimati acting as a peripheral base for specialized activities. This analysis challenges the prevailing “mystery island” paradigm which focuses on resource scarcity and isolation. Not only the authors have noted the rich agricultural potential of Tabuaeran and the enormous faunal resources on Kiritimati, but also the pervasive evidence of long-distance interaction found on both islands.