Chapter I Intro & Objectives - SPREP

PHOENIX ISLANDS PROTECTED AREA MANAGEMENT PLAN
Chapter III. Background, 2. Human Activities
Draft 1 March 2007
The third Manra (Sydney) archaeological visit was the 1933 MacGregor and Stuart survey
using the yacht Zaca (MacGregor n.d., Emory 1939; Di Piazza and Pearthree 2004).
The fourth Manra (Sydney) archaeological visit was the 1939 Bigelow visit (Bigelow 1939,
see also Di Piazza and Pearthree 2004).
The most recent archaeological visit to Manra (Sydney) was the 1997 Di Piazza and
Pearthree visit (Di Piazza and Pearthree 2004).
Fish Pond & Weir – Arundel (1885) reported a fish pond on Manra (Sydney) (see also Bryan
1941; Ellis 1937; Garnett 1983a). The fish pond was located on the western side of the
lagoon and was about 8.8 m (29 ft) in diameter ringed by flat coral blocks piled on to of each
other (Arundel 1885).
The 1889 British survey of Manra (Sydney) reported an ancient fish pond and an ancient
stone weir by the lagoon (MacGregor n.d.).
In 1933, fish cairns were located on Manra (Sydney) (Macgregor n.d.).
Bryan (1934) could not locate the fish pond reported by Arundel (1885).
Douglas and Douglas (1994) indicated that the fish traps in the lagoon indicated that the
lagoon was once open to the sea (see also Maude 1937).
Dahl (1980) reported the saline lagoon on Manra had been partly modified for aquaculture.
No fish were found in the fish pond (Government of Kiribati 1995). The area of the pond
was estimated to be 4 km 2 .
Structures - Anon. (1860c) noted that there were an extensive enclosure and a pyramid of
stone on a newly discovered island near the Phoenix group (Manra (Sydney) according to
Ward 1967b).
Arundel (1885) reported a large collection of graves and mounds. Arundel (1885) noted long
lines of flat plates of coral that form roads over 0.8 km (0.5 miles) in length (see also Ellis
1937). Mr. Arundel had one of the maraes opened, but could not determine if they were
places of burial or of sacrifice (Ellis 1937).
The 1889 British survey of Manra (Sydney) reported ancient stone sites (MacGregor n.d.).
In 1924, the Whitney South Sea Expedition found ancient stone structures on Orona (Hull),
Abariringa (Canton) as well as Manra (Sydney) (MacGregor n.d.). No ruins were discovered
on the other Phoenix Islands.
MacGregor (1934) reported that 31 stone structures were found on Orona (Hull) and Manra
(Sydney) in three days.
Bryan (1934) reported finding archaeological structures on Manra (Sydney). Eight to ten
were observed along the northwest curve of the island, 91 km (100 yards) or more from the
beach. More may be hidden in the thick woods in that area. A larger one measured 8.8 x 4.6
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