<p>Early Polynesian social development, and its dispersal through migration, are hotly debated topics, though this development is thought to have been centred on Tonga. This thesis uses material from Tongan archaeological sites to attempt to form more definite conclusions about ancestral Polynesian society, and to attempt to trace its development. It also provides a ceramic chronology for Tonga, which was previously lacking. Using Tongan evidence, along with comparative material from elsewhere in western Polynesia, it provides new insights into this ongoing debate. It is therefore an important contribution to the study of early Polynesian society.</p>