Tula, American Samoa

Tula
Tula
Village
	Tula Location in American Samoa
	Coordinates: 14°15′10″S 170°33′56″W / 14.25278°S 170.56556°W
Country	United States
Territory	American Samoa
County	Vaifanua
Area
• Land	0.51 sq mi (1.3 km2)
Population (2020)
• Total	308
• Density	794.5/sq mi (306.8/km2)

Tula is a village in the Eastern District of Tutuila Island in American Samoa. Tula is located in Vaifanua County and had a population of 405 as of the 2010 U.S. Census.^[1]

Tula is located on Cape Matātula. It is the site of the former upland ridge settlement of Lefutu (AS-21-002).^[2] Cape Matatula, which is the northeastern point of Tutuila Island, consists of high rocks that project some distance seaward, forming a prominent headland. The cape's rugged terrain and protruding rocks make it a notable geographical feature.^[3]

Etymology

The name of the village, Tula, is derived from the Samoan language and translates into English as “Bald” or “Bare”.^[4] Lefutu, which is a hamlet^[5] or inland village in Tula, translates to “Barringtonia tree”.^[6]

History

Tula was one of the first settlements on Tutuila, having been settled by 600 BCE.^[7]^[8] Numerous ancient artifacts have been discovered at the prehistoric quarry near the town.^[9] The Lau'agae Ridge Quarry is the largest of its kind on Tutuila Island.^[10]

The prehistoric village of Tulauta (AS-21-1) is located approximately 500 meters inland from the coastal village of Tula. It is situated at the rear of the Tula Valley.^[11]^[12] Large quantities of basalt debris have been found at Tulauta.^[13]

In 1985, Gould, Honor, and Reinhardt asserted that the abundance of basalt flakes at the site indicates that Tulauta was among the largest basalt quarries and lithic or adze manufacturing centers in Polynesia. Features identified at the site include 10 to 13 house foundations, two pigsty enclosures, several graves, rock alignments, pits, fireplaces, and walls. One house foundation, elevated higher than the others, is hypothesized to have served as the base for a chief’s house. Additionally, potential evidence of a fale aitu (spirit house) or related structure exists, and a malae (ceremonial ground) may be present in a featureless area dividing the northern and southern clusters of structures. Archaeologists have consistently noted a significant number of basalt artifacts at Tulauta, with over 200 adzes and more than 100 flake tools recovered from the site. Radiocarbon dating results have varied: Frost reported dates of approximately 2560 ± 140 BCE and 630 ± 70 years BCE. Gould obtained dates of 190 ± 80 years BCE and 420 ± 80 years BCE.^[14]

Geography

Tula is the easternmost village on Tutuila Island,^[15]^[16] and is situated on the rugged northeast cape of Matātula.^[17] It is home to wide, white sand beaches and a prehistoric quarry. The Samoa Observatory, established in 1974 by National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), sits on Cape Matātula just outside the village of Tula.^[18] NASA's Advanced Global Atmospheric Gases Experiment (AGAGE) measures more than 40 trace gases involved in stratospheric ozone depletion, climate change, and air quality at the observatory.^[19]

Cape Matā'ula and the nearby village of Onenoa feature small plantations, high cliffs, and forested slopes.^[20]

Geology

Tula is closely associated with the geological features of the Olomoana Volcano. The volcanic rocks in this region consist predominantly of olivine basalts, which are geographically limited in extent. Geological studies suggest that these formations resulted from volcanic activity on the northeast rift of the nearby Ālōfau Volcano during the final stages of Pliocene volcanic activity on the island. Evidence of this contemporaneous activity includes the overlapping of Ālōfau volcanic flows on the western slope of the Olomoana volcanic cone. The Olomoana volcanic system spans approximately 2.4 square kilometers and dominates the landscape surrounding the peak near Tula. Notable geological features include several intrusive volcanic plugs, crater fills, and cinder cones, prominently exposed along the eastern coastline. Cape Matatula, within the vicinity of Tula, is recognized as the largest intrusive volcanic plug in the area. This region is characterized by interbedded flows and palagonitized vitric tuffs. Additionally, the Lefulufulu'a trachyte plug intrudes through these layers, adding to the complex geological history of the area. A large, partially exhumed cinder cone is visible in the stream bed that drains towards Tula, offering further insight into the region's volcanic heritage.^[21]

Demographics

Year	Population^[22]
2020	308
2010	405
2000	413
1990	423
1980	347
1970	329
1960	340
1950	261
1940	104
1930	128

Notable people

Composer and radio host Iosefa Salanoa Solatoa (1925-1985) was born and raised in Tula. He composed one of the most popular songs in the Samoan Islands, “Le Eleele ua le Malie i Vai”, and later became President of the Samoan Civic Association of Hawai’i.^[23]

References

^ Census of population and housing (2000): American Samoa Summary Social, Economic, and Housing Characteristics (2000). DIANE Publishing. Pages 13 and 147. ISBN 9781428985490.
^ Krämer, Augustin (2000). The Samoa Islands. University of Hawaii Press. Pages 497-498 and 432. ISBN 9780824822194.
^ U.S. Defense Mapping Agency (1977). "Sailing Directions for the Pacific Islands: Volume 3, the South-central Groups". U.S. Department of Defense. Page 169.
^ Churchill, W. (1913). "Geographical Nomenclature of American Samoa". Bulletin of the American Geographical Society, 45(3), page 193. Retrieved on December 6, 2024, from https://doi.org/10.2307/199273.
^ Krämer, Augustin (1994). The Samoa Islands: Constitution, pedigrees and traditions. University of Hawaiʻi Press. Page 432. ISBN 9780824816339.
^ Churchill, W. (1913). Geographical Nomenclature of American Samoa. Bulletin of the American Geographical Society, 45(3), page 192. Retrieved on December 6, 2024, from https://doi.org/10.2307/199273.
^ Lonely Planet (1990). Samoa: Western & American Samoa. Lonely Planet Publications. Page 135. ISBN 9780864420787.
^ Stanley, David (1999). Moon Handbooks Tonga-Samoa. Moon Travel Handbooks. Page 163. ISBN 9781566911740.
^ Murrow, Tony and Malama Meleisea (2000). Samoa: Pacific Pride. Pasifika Press. Page 42. ISBN 9780908597192.
^ Stubbs, John and William Chapman (2023). Architectural Conservation in Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific Islands: National Experiences and Practice. Taylor & Francis. ISBN 9781003807940.
^ Clark, Jeffrey T. and David J. Herdrich (1988). “The Eastern Tutuila Archaeological Project, 1986: Final Report”. The Eastern Tutuila Archaeological Project, 1986. Page 26.
^ Weisler, Marshall (1997). Prehistoric Long-distance Interaction in Oceania: An Interdisciplinary Approach. New Zealand Archaeological Association. Page 73. ISBN 9780959791549.
^ Birx, H. James (2006). Encyclopedia of Anthropology. SAGE Publications. Page 2049. ISBN 9781452265360.
^ Clark, J. T., & Herdrich, D. J. (1993). "PREHISTORIC SETTLEMENT SYSTEM IN EASTERN TUTUILA, AMERICAN SAMOA". The Journal of the Polynesian Society, 102(2), pages 157–158 and 166. Retrieved on December 11, 2024, from http://www.jstor.org/stable/20706503.
^ Lonely Planet (1990). Samoa: Western & American Samoa. Lonely Planet Publications. Page 148. ISBN 9780864420787.
^ Swaney, Deanna (1994). Samoa: Western & American Samoa: a Lonely Planet Travel Survival Kit. Lonely Planet Publications. Page 178. ISBN 9780864422255.
^ Krämer, Augustin (2000). The Samoa Islands: An Outline of a Monograph With Particular Consideration of German Samoa. University of Hawaii Press. Page 432. ISBN 9780824822194.
^ Stanley, David (2004). Moon Handbooks South Pacific. Page 479. ISBN 9781566914116.
^ "Cape Matatula". Advanced Global Atmospheric Gases Experiment. NASA. Retrieved 12 April 2022.
^ Swaney, Deanna (1994). Samoa: Western & American Samoa: a Lonely Planet Travel Survival Kit. Lonely Planet Publications. Page 178. ISBN 9780864422255.
^ Keating, Barbara H. and Barrie R. Bolton (2012). Geology and Offshore Mineral Resources of the Central Pacific Basin. Springer New York. Page 152. ISBN 9781461228967.
^ "American Samoa Statistical Yearbook 2016" (PDF). American Samoa Department of Commerce.
^ Sunia, Fofō Iosefa Fiti (2001). Puputoa: Host of Heroes - A record of the history makers in the First Century of American Samoa, 1900-2000. Suva, Fiji: Oceania Printers. Pages 133-134. ISBN 9829036022.