KOROTOKA-HILL FORT
NATAVULOA-RING DITCH FORT

Definitions
Fortifications (noun) - the act of building military defenses to protect a place against attack
Sedimentary (noun) - material deposited by water, wind, or glaciers
Subsistence (noun) - a source or means of obtaining the necessities of life
Alluvial (adjective) - made up of or found in the materials that are left by the water of rivers, floods, etc.
Shifting cultivation (noun) - a land-use system, in which a tract of land is cultivated until its fertility diminishes, when it is abandoned until this is restored naturally
Terrace (noun) - a piece of sloped plane that has been cut into a series of successively receding flat surfaces or platforms, which resemble steps, for the purposes of more effective farming

Fortified Sites in Fiji Early visitors to Fiji focused a great deal of attention on the predominance of warfare and the presence of fortifications. Fortifications in Fiji consisted of ring-ditch forts in the sedimentary costal flatlands, as well as ditch and bank fortified sites on the hill slopes and ridges. Oral tradition stipulates the main source for details regarding the basis of warfare and fortifications in Fiji. Most of these trace their origin to around the sixteenth century. A migration of a population from the west of the archipelago carried with them more advanced subsistence skills such as building fortified villages. According to the Fijian researcher Palmer, who conducted field investigations, hypothesized that based on their distribution in alluvial flatlands, ring ditch forts were a post European response to European contact, population increases, and agricultural intensification Upland fortified sites were dependent on shifting cultivation for subsistence. It was concluded that archaeological evidence of continuity in the ceramic sequence, changing social hierarchies, resource abundance, and patterns of warfare suggest a gradual evolutionary pattern of change rather than a migration explanation for the inception of fortified sites.

The Geology, Topography, and Vegetation The islands of Fiji are remnants of basaltic volcanoes, and are oceanic island with no continental elements.

Natavuloa, Natokalau This is a ring ditch fortification site. It sits on a natural rise of a valley. It is presently used to cultivate coconuts. It is about 2-5 meters above sea level. According to a man living on the island, it is one of the oldest villages in this area. Ceramics were collected from the entire surface in the middle of the ring ditch.

Korotoka, Yaroi This is a hilltop fort inland from a wharf and Ketei bay. It is 40 meters in elevation. All sides of the hill are terraced. The area is presently not used and is covered with secondary vegetation. Ceramics were collected from four areas. Ma’afu warriors took over the first terrace against the Tui Lomati, but the Lomati people were called to the second and third terrace were the successfully defended Ma’afu, the people of the island are very proud.

Conclusion
According to the evidence, we can conclude that Korotoka’s pottery sherds are thicker than Natavuloa. Since Korotoka was used in the 1850’s it appears that in the 1800s the pottery was much thicker, compared to Natavuloa, which was used prior to this. The site of Korotoka was used when the Tongan chief Ma’afu attacked Fiji. The reason the pottery was thicker could be because of several reasons. The culture was undergoing rapid cultural and demographic change, and had European contact. Also since the population was decreasing, fewer people were making pottery, which could have caused variation in the style in which it was made.