The Marquesan culture began about 2,225 years ago, probably from a western Polynesian origin, on one of the islands presently called Marquesas Islands.v The Marquesan culture reached a maximum population of around 100,000 people. They fished in the sea, but they also ate breadfruit, taro, bananas, sugar cane, yams, and kava. The Marquesian people had professional priests, artisans, warriors, and advisors. The struggle for power among the people lead to inter-tribal fighting and cannibalism. The tribes who lost the wars were forced to leave the island and search for a new place to live.
The Tohua is a large stone structure, which was used for cultural functions. The largest of these structures was the Tohua Vahangekua. It still stands today on the island of Nuka Hiva. Funerals, harvest ceremonies, dances, religious ceremonies, and sacrifices were all performed at Tohua. The Marquesan culture encouraged open sexual acts at ceremonies and celebrations. They believed that openly performing acts would increase the fertility of the land as it stimulated their ancestor's spirit.
The first European to visit was Alvaro de Mendana. He arrived around 1595 and described the people as kind and welcoming. At least 200 of the Marquesians died when Mendana first visited. It would be two centuries before another outsider would venture onto the island. It is at this time that the Marquesan started to decline. Many explorers stopped by and with the introduction of firearms and alcohol the culture declined. Presently, the island is vacant.
Written By: David Gagner
Sources
"The Marquesas" TribalSite.com http://www.tribalsite.com/articles/marque.htm
"Dating Marquesan Monuments and Voyaging" University of Hawaii Report. http://www.svpa.hawaii.edu/ur/University_Report/URApril/marquesan.html