What is Samoa known for

Samoan islets have been shaped by vulcanic activities and are mainly mountain and ridge ranges on the Pacific Plate. Though American Samoa did not show any historical eruption of volcanoes, it was not until the early 1900s that the Savai'i archipelago experienced it. Archeological proofs suggest that the Samoan Isles, as well as others, such as Vanuatu, the Loyalty Isles, New Caledonia, Fiji and Tonga, were first colonised by Austro-Hungarian spokesmen from Melanesia.

They were known as Lapita, who travelled to distant Oceania around 1300 BC as part of a large Diaspora. A lot of carbon-radio data from archeological places like To' aga on Ofu and tooa on Tutuila show that Samoa and the remainder of these archipelagos were populated by Lapita not later than 900 BC.

After about 500 BC Samoa and Tonga seem to have been the starting point for the expansion of Polynesia to the east. Archaeologically, Samoa is best known for its striking starry hills - solid cliffs with shining branches, which were constructed by the old Samoans for social and sports activities - and stoneware made of basalt. In Tutuila, the outstanding qualities of the basalts found made it particularly appealing to old Polyynesian toolmakers.

Analytical chemistry of the Adze indicates that the Samoan rock was in great demand and was either trafficked or shipped several hundred kilometres away on islets. Samoa's first registered contacts in Europe took place in 1722, when the Netherlands sailor Jacob Roggeveen saw several of the island. Europe's first ambassador, the English John Williams of the London Mission Society (LMS), came in 1830.

Many Samoans were converted to Christianity, and his supporters had a deep influence on the Samoans and their culturals. Prehistorical settlements in Eastern Tutuila, American Samoa. Archeological story of the Pacific Isles before Europe's outreach. American Samoa, three thousand years of Polynesia's crew on the Manu a isles.