Roger Curtis Green
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Roger Curtis Green (15 March 1932 – 4 October 2009) was an American-born, New Zealand-based
archaeologist Archaeology or archeology is the scientific study of human activity through the recovery and analysis of material culture. The archaeological record consists of artifacts, architecture, biofacts or ecofacts, sites, and cultural landscap ...
,
Professor Emeritus ''Emeritus'' (; female: ''emerita'') is an adjective used to designate a retired chair, professor, pastor, bishop, pope, director, president, prime minister, rabbi, emperor, or other person who has been "permitted to retain as an honorary title ...
at
The University of Auckland , mottoeng = By natural ability and hard work , established = 1883; years ago , endowment = NZD $293 million (31 December 2021) , budget = NZD $1.281 billion (31 December 2021) , chancellor = Cecilia Tarrant , vice_chancellor = Dawn ...
, and member of the
National Academy of Sciences The National Academy of Sciences (NAS) is a United States nonprofit, non-governmental organization. NAS is part of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, along with the National Academy of Engineering (NAE) and the Nati ...
and
Royal Society of New Zealand Royal may refer to: People * Royal (name), a list of people with either the surname or given name * A member of a royal family Places United States * Royal, Arkansas, an unincorporated community * Royal, Illinois, a village * Royal, Iowa, a cit ...
. He was awarded the
Hector In Greek mythology, Hector (; grc, Ἕκτωρ, Hektōr, label=none, ) is a character in Homer's Iliad. He was a Trojan prince and the greatest warrior for Troy during the Trojan War. Hector led the Trojans and their allies in the defense o ...
and
Marsden Medal The Marsden Medal is a yearly award given by the New Zealand Association of Scientists. It is named after Sir Ernest Marsden and honours "a lifetime of outstanding service to the cause or profession of science, in recognition of service rendere ...
s and was an Officer of the
New Zealand Order of Merit The New Zealand Order of Merit is an order of merit in the New Zealand royal honours system. It was established by royal warrant (document), royal warrant on 30 May 1996 by Elizabeth II, Monarchy of New Zealand, Queen of New Zealand, "for those ...
for his contributions to the study of Pacific culture history.


Early life and education

Roger Green was born in Ridgewood, New Jersey, and expressed an interest in archaeology at an early age.Davidson, Janet, 1999. Roger Curtis Green. In T. Murray, ed. ''Encyclopedia of Archaeology: The Great Archaeologists''. Santa Barbara:ABC-CLIO. At sixteen, his family relocated to
Albuquerque Albuquerque ( ; ), ; kee, Arawageeki; tow, Vakêêke; zun, Alo:ke:k'ya; apj, Gołgéeki'yé. abbreviated ABQ, is the most populous city in the U.S. state of New Mexico. Its nicknames, The Duke City and Burque, both reference its founding in ...
,
New Mexico ) , population_demonym = New Mexican ( es, Neomexicano, Neomejicano, Nuevo Mexicano) , seat = Santa Fe , LargestCity = Albuquerque , LargestMetro = Tiguex , OfficialLang = None , Languages = English, Spanish ( New Mexican), Navajo, Ker ...
, where his interest in North American prehistory flourished. Following a field season on
Pueblo In the Southwestern United States, Pueblo (capitalized) refers to the Native tribes of Puebloans having fixed-location communities with permanent buildings which also are called pueblos (lowercased). The Spanish explorers of northern New Spain ...
sites in the region under the tutelage of Frank Hibben, Green attended the
University of New Mexico The University of New Mexico (UNM; es, Universidad de Nuevo México) is a public research university in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Founded in 1889, it is the state's flagship academic institution and the largest by enrollment, with over 25,400 ...
. While there, he undertook coursework in geology and
linguistics Linguistics is the scientific study of human language. It is called a scientific study because it entails a comprehensive, systematic, objective, and precise analysis of all aspects of language, particularly its nature and structure. Linguis ...
in addition to
anthropology Anthropology is the scientific study of humanity, concerned with human behavior, human biology, cultures, societies, and linguistics, in both the present and past, including past human species. Social anthropology studies patterns of behavi ...
, while at the same time being engaged in officers training. He was particularly influenced by the work of linguist
Edward Sapir Edward Sapir (; January 26, 1884 – February 4, 1939) was an American Jewish anthropologist-linguist, who is widely considered to be one of the most important figures in the development of the discipline of linguistics in the United States. Sa ...
during this period, which likely contributed to his subsequent works in Polynesian linguistics. During this period, Green continued to work on local field projects, resulting in his first published works. His talents were recognised early on by his professors at New Mexico, and before completing his Masters study there, Green was encouraged to enroll in a doctorate program at
Harvard Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of higher le ...
. While there he studied closely under
Gordon Willey Gordon Randolph Willey (7 March 1913 – 28 April 2002) was an American archaeologist who was described by colleagues as the "dean" of New World archaeology.Sabloff 2004, p.406 Willey performed fieldwork at excavations in South America, Central A ...
and Cora du Bois. It was also there that he was first introduced to Pacific prehistory by Douglas Oliver, who helped arrange a Fulbright fellowship that took him to New Zealand and on to conduct research in
French Polynesia )Territorial motto: ( en, "Great Tahiti of the Golden Haze") , anthem = , song_type = Regional anthem , song = " Ia Ora 'O Tahiti Nui" , image_map = French Polynesia on the globe (French Polynesia centered).svg , map_alt = Location of Frenc ...
on the islands of
Moorea Moorea ( or ; Tahitian: ), also spelled Moorea, is a volcanic island in French Polynesia. It is one of the Windward Islands, a group that is part of the Society Islands, northwest of Tahiti. The name comes from the Tahitian word , meaning ...
and
Mangareva Mangareva is the central and largest island of the Gambier Islands in French Polynesia. It is surrounded by smaller islands: Taravai in the southwest, Aukena and Akamaru in the southeast, and islands in the north. Mangareva has a permanent pop ...
. His PhD dissertation focused on the prehistoric sequence of the
Auckland Auckland (pronounced ) ( mi, Tāmaki Makaurau) is a large metropolitan city in the North Island of New Zealand. The List of New Zealand urban areas by population, most populous urban area in the country and the List of cities in Oceania by po ...
region.


Academic career

Following his doctoral work in the Pacific, Green replaced
Jack Golson Jack Golson (born 1926) is an archaeologist who has done extensive field work in Melanesia, Polynesia and Micronesia. He was born in Rochdale, England. Golson studied history and archaeology at University of Cambridge, Cambridge University. In ...
as a senior lecturer of Anthropology at
The University of Auckland , mottoeng = By natural ability and hard work , established = 1883; years ago , endowment = NZD $293 million (31 December 2021) , budget = NZD $1.281 billion (31 December 2021) , chancellor = Cecilia Tarrant , vice_chancellor = Dawn ...
from 1961 to 1966. In 1966, he was promoted to
associate professor Associate professor is an academic title with two principal meanings: in the North American system and that of the ''Commonwealth system''. Overview In the ''North American system'', used in the United States and many other countries, it is a ...
, and worked for the next three years at the
University of Hawaii at Mānoa A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, the ...
. From 1970 to 1973, he worked on an extensive research project with Douglas Yen in the
Solomon Islands Solomon Islands is an island country consisting of six major islands and over 900 smaller islands in Oceania, to the east of Papua New Guinea and north-west of Vanuatu. It has a land area of , and a population of approx. 700,000. Its capita ...
funded by a Captain James Cook Fellowship, after which he returned to
Auckland Auckland (pronounced ) ( mi, Tāmaki Makaurau) is a large metropolitan city in the North Island of New Zealand. The List of New Zealand urban areas by population, most populous urban area in the country and the List of cities in Oceania by po ...
for the remainder of his teaching career. He retired from teaching in 1992, at which time he was made
professor emeritus ''Emeritus'' (; female: ''emerita'') is an adjective used to designate a retired chair, professor, pastor, bishop, pope, director, president, prime minister, rabbi, emperor, or other person who has been "permitted to retain as an honorary title ...
. In addition to teaching at Auckland and Hawaii, Green periodically held active teaching and research positions at the
American Museum of Natural History The American Museum of Natural History (abbreviated as AMNH) is a natural history museum on the Upper West Side of Manhattan in New York City. In Theodore Roosevelt Park, across the street from Central Park, the museum complex comprises 26 inter ...
in New York, the Bernice P. Bishop Museum in
Honolulu Honolulu (; ) is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Hawaii, which is in the Pacific Ocean. It is an unincorporated county seat of the consolidated City and County of Honolulu, situated along the southeast coast of the island ...
, and Te Whare Wānanga o Awanuiārangi in Whakatane, New Zealand. He also oversaw the funding of numerous research projects through the Green Foundation for Polynesian Research. During his teaching career, Green taught a number of students who would later make significant contributions to New Zealand and Pacific archaeology, including
Janet Davidson Janet Marjorie Davidson (born 1941) is a New Zealand archaeologist who has carried out extensive field work in the Pacific Islands throughout Polynesia, Micronesia and Melanesia. Career Davidson carried out field work in the Society Islands ...
, Les Groube,
Andrew Pawley Andrew Kenneth Pawley (born 1941 in Sydney), FRSNZ, FAHA, is Emeritus Professor at the School of Culture, History & Language of the ''College of Asia & the Pacific'' at the Australian National University. Career Pawley was born in Sydney but ...
, Lisa Matisoo-Smith.


Contributions

Green's earliest work was focused primarily on the Largo-Gallina phase of the Pueblo Native Americans. He conducted several excavations at various sites in New Mexico as part of academic and salvage projects. In the Pacific, Green contributed to the individual culture histories of New Zealand, Hawaii,
Samoa Samoa, officially the Independent State of Samoa; sm, Sāmoa, and until 1997 known as Western Samoa, is a Polynesian island country consisting of two main islands (Savai'i and Upolu); two smaller, inhabited islands (Manono Island, Manono an ...
,
Fiji Fiji ( , ,; fj, Viti, ; Fiji Hindi: फ़िजी, ''Fijī''), officially the Republic of Fiji, is an island country in Melanesia, part of Oceania in the South Pacific Ocean. It lies about north-northeast of New Zealand. Fiji consists ...
,
Tonga Tonga (, ; ), officially the Kingdom of Tonga ( to, Puleʻanga Fakatuʻi ʻo Tonga), is a Polynesian country and archipelago. The country has 171 islands – of which 45 are inhabited. Its total surface area is about , scattered over in ...
,
Papua New Guinea Papua New Guinea (abbreviated PNG; , ; tpi, Papua Niugini; ho, Papua Niu Gini), officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea ( tpi, Independen Stet bilong Papua Niugini; ho, Independen Stet bilong Papua Niu Gini), is a country i ...
,
French Polynesia )Territorial motto: ( en, "Great Tahiti of the Golden Haze") , anthem = , song_type = Regional anthem , song = " Ia Ora 'O Tahiti Nui" , image_map = French Polynesia on the globe (French Polynesia centered).svg , map_alt = Location of Frenc ...
, the
Solomon Islands Solomon Islands is an island country consisting of six major islands and over 900 smaller islands in Oceania, to the east of Papua New Guinea and north-west of Vanuatu. It has a land area of , and a population of approx. 700,000. Its capita ...
,
New Caledonia ) , anthem = "" , image_map = New Caledonia on the globe (small islands magnified) (Polynesia centered).svg , map_alt = Location of New Caledonia , map_caption = Location of New Caledonia , mapsize = 290px , subdivision_type = Sovereign st ...
, and
Easter Island Easter Island ( rap, Rapa Nui; es, Isla de Pascua) is an island and special territory of Chile in the southeastern Pacific Ocean, at the southeasternmost point of the Polynesian Triangle in Oceania. The island is most famous for its nearl ...
. He worked extensively on the general prehistory of the
Pacific The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean (or, depending on definition, to Antarctica) in the south, and is bounded by the continen ...
, contributing to a myriad of topics including: * Polynesian origins Green helped to develop a phylogenetic model of the Pacific using a combination of linguistic, ethnological, biological, and archaeological analysis; this work was complemented by ethnohistorical research of the ancestral Polynesian homeland, Hawaiki. * Evolution of
Polynesian languages The Polynesian languages form a genealogical group of languages, itself part of the Oceanic branch of the Austronesian family. There are 38 Polynesian languages, representing 7 percent of the 522 Oceanic languages, and 3 percent of the Austron ...
From the 1960s, Green worked to classify Polynesian languages and identify common terms. * The Lapita cultural complex Green was among the first to identify Lapita pottery and material culture with the Austronesian-speaking ancestors of the Polynesians. His excavations in the
Reef A reef is a ridge or shoal of rock, coral or similar relatively stable material, lying beneath the surface of a natural body of water. Many reefs result from natural, abiotic processes— deposition of sand, wave erosion planing down rock out ...
and
Santa Cruz Islands The Santa Cruz Islands are a group of islands in the Pacific Ocean, part of Temotu Province of the nation of Solomon Islands discovered by the Spaniards. They lie approximately 250 miles (400 km) to the southeast of the Solomon Islands ...
, as well as
Watom Island Watom Island is an inhabited island in the Bismarck Sea in Papua New Guinea, located just off the mainland of the northern coast of New Britain, near Rabaul. It lies to the north-east of Urara Island. The island is almost entirely forested excep ...
in Papua New Guinea furnished significant data for this interpretation. * Settlement patterns in Oceania Green pioneered the settlement pattern approach in the Pacific, which examined the archaeological landscape holistically rather than focus on sites with rich deposits. This was used to good effect by Green on Moorea, New Zealand, Samoa,Green, R.C., 2002. A retrospective view of settlement pattern studies in Samoa. In T. N. Ladefoged and M. W. Graves (eds), "Pacific Landscapes: Archaeological Approaches". Los Osos, CA: Easter Island Foundation, pp. 125–52. and by others elsewhere. * Radiocarbon and stratigraphic sequences Green worked closely with a number of archaeologists to develop the sequences for a number of island groups, and emphasised the importance of using archaeological context in addition to chronometric data.Green, R.C. and S. H. Bickler, 2009. 'Anakena reinterpreted using a geo-archaeological, chronological, and landscape approach. Presented to the University of Auckland Department of Anthropology, October 2008 * Long-distance voyaging and exchange Green's work with obsidian provenance and Lapita sites helped to develop ideas about prehistoric voyaging and exchange between island groups. Among his methodological contributions, Green was well known for his work on obsidian dating and provenance, an invaluable tool in Pacific archaeology. Additionally, he made significant contributions to settlement pattern archaeology, particularly with his work in Moorea and Samoa. The Green Foundation, established in 1984 by Green and his wife, Valerie, was an initiative which was started with diverted earnings from fee paying work Green was involved in. The Foundation supports multidisciplinary research in New Zealand and the Pacific.


Selected publications

* Green, Roger C., 1956. A pit house of the Gallina phase. ''American Antiquity'' 22:10–16. * Green, Roger C., 1961. Mo'orean archaeology. ''Man'' 61:169–173. * Green, Roger C., 1962. Obsidian, its applications to archaeology. ''New Zealand Archaeological Association Newsletter'' 5:8–16. * Green, Roger C., 1963a. A review of the prehistoric sequence in the Auckland Province. ''Auckland Archaeological Society Publication 1 and New Zealand Archaeological Association Monograph 2''. Auckland: University Bindery Press. * Green, Roger C., 1963b. Site preservation. ''New Zealand Archaeological Association Newsletter'' 6:57–69 * Green, Roger C., 1963c. A suggested revision of the Fijian sequence. ''Journal of the Polynesian Society'' 72:235–253. * Green, Roger C., 1966. Linguistic subgrouping with Polynesia: the implications for prehistoric settlement. ''Journal of the Polynesian Society'' 80:355–370. * Green, Roger C., 1967. The immediate origins of the Polynesians. In ''Polynesian Culture History: Essays in Honor of Kenneth P. Emory'', edited by G. H. Highland et al. Bernice P. Bishop Museum Special Publication 56. Honolulu: Bishop Museum Press. * Green, Roger C., K. Green, R. A. Rappaport, and J. M. Davidson. 1967. Archaeology on the island of Mo'orea, French Polynesia. ''Anthropological Papers of the American Museum of Natural History'' 51, 2. New York. * Green, Roger C. and J. M. Davidson, eds. 1969. ''Archaeology in Western Samoa, Volume I''. Auckland: Auckland Institute and Museum. * Green, Roger C. and M. M. Kelly, eds. 1970. Studies in Oceanic Culture History, Volume I. ''Pacific Anthropological Records'' 11. Honolulu: Bishop Museum Press. * Green, Roger C., 1972. Revision of the Tongan Sequence. ''Journal of the Polynesian Society'' 81:79–86 * Green, Roger C., 1973. Lapita pottery and the origins of Polynesian culture. ''Australian Natural History'' 17:332-37. * Green, Roger C., 1977. ''A First Culture History of the Solomon Islands''. Auckland: University of Auckland Bindery. * Green, Roger C., 1979. Lapita. In ''The Prehistory of Polynesia'', edited by J.D. Hennings. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press. * Green, Roger C., 1980. Makaha before 1880 A.D. ''Makaha Valley Historical Project Summary Report No. 5. Pacific Anthropological Records'' 31. Honolulu: Bishop Museum Press. * Green, Roger C. and J.S. Mitchell, 1983. New Caledonian culture history: a review of the archaeological sequence. ''New Zealand Journal of Archaeology'' 5:19–67. * Kirch, Patrick V. and R. C. Green, 1987. History, phylogeny, and evolution in Polynesia. ''Current Anthropology'' 28: 431–443, 452–456. * Kirch, Patrick V. and R. C. Green, 2001. ''Hawaiki, Ancestral Polynesia, An Essay in Historical Anthropology''. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. * Green, Valerie J. and R. C. Green, 2007. An accent on atolls and approaches to population histories of Remote Oceania. In ''The Growth and Collapse of Pacific Island Societies: Archaeological and Demographic Perspectives'', edited by P. V. Kirch and J.-L. Rallu. Honolulu: University of Hawaii Press.


See also

* Lapita *
History of the Pacific Islands History of the Pacific Islands covers the history of the islands in the Pacific Ocean. Histories Easter Island – Rapanui Easter Island is one of the youngest inhabited territories on earth, and for most of the history of Easter Island it w ...
*
Archaeology in Samoa Archaeology of Samoa began with the first systematic survey of archaeological remains on Savai'i island by Jack Golson in 1957.Polynesian languages The Polynesian languages form a genealogical group of languages, itself part of the Oceanic branch of the Austronesian family. There are 38 Polynesian languages, representing 7 percent of the 522 Oceanic languages, and 3 percent of the Austron ...


References


External links


Staff profile at The University of AucklandWorks by or about Roger C. Green on WorldCatOde to a Real Oceanic Archaeologist
a limerick about Green
Patrick V. Kirch, "Roger Curtin Green", Biographical Memoirs of the National Academy of Sciences (2010)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Green, Roger C Historians of the Pacific New Zealand archaeologists University of Auckland faculty 1932 births 2009 deaths Officers of the New Zealand Order of Merit University of New Mexico alumni Harvard University alumni American emigrants to New Zealand Members of the United States National Academy of Sciences 20th-century New Zealand historians 20th-century New Zealand male writers 20th-century archaeologists