New traces of an ancient city have been found in Tonga using cutting-edge laser technology.
Archaeologists have uncovered an ancient city using aerial scanners in the form of some 10,000 mounds. This city was found about 12 kilometers away from Nuku’alofa, the capital city.
Researchers are saying that this could be one of the first cities in the pacific. Because of this city, findings prove that urbanization could have existed in Tonga long before they had originally thought.
Phillip Parton, study author and PhD scholar, suggests that urbanization could have existed before western influence. He had said, "Earth structures were being constructed in Tongatapu around AD 300. This is 700 years earlier than previously thought.”’
He also stated, “As settlements grew, they had to come up with new ways of supporting that growing population. This kind of setup—what we call low-density urbanization—sets in motion huge social and economic change.”
Because of this finding, researchers have theorized that there could be even more cities like this that show proof of urbanization on other islands.
