Miscellaneous

House sites. The stone platform, according to my informants, was not used. The surviving native house on Rakahanga is characterized by the absence of any platform or stones marking the wall boundaries. This is in marked contrast to the platforms of coral boulders associated with the Rarotongan types of houses which have become popular. The platform was introduced with the type of house. Because the present modern villages occupy the sites of the old villages, any traces of the past that might have survived the changes of time have been obliterated. The custom of segregation within the present village sites from the earliest times prevented the establishment of houses on other islands that might have left traces of interest to the archaeologist. It seems true, however, that not only were no house platforms made formerly, but that even the marking of the wall boundaries with stone was non-existent.

Maraes. The scanty material concerning maraes is presented on page 208. Here again the segregation into three villages prevented the survival of a marae on an outer island.

Graves. (See p. 217.)

Boundary stones (tuakoi) were used in the village of Te Kainga.