Walls

Walls of loosely built rock or stone may be divided into two kinds; for defensive purposes and for restricting the wanderings of pigs.

Defensive walls ('olo or pa taua). Many of the villages in olden days had stone walls built around them to assist in keeping out attacking war parties. For such purposes, the wall was called a pa taua or 'olo, though 'olo usually refers; to the village or place thus fortified. Such a wall in ancient days was built around Leone on the landward side, but the sea side was left open.

The village on Aunuu Island was extensively defended during the war between Faumuina and Maunga of Pago Pago. The wall was about 6 feet high and ran along the sea front. The right flank ended in a loosely built stone tower protected by the main village and a large body of men. The left flank also ended in a stone tower. The right tower, now nothing but a heap of stones, was said to have been originally 20 feet high. The tower, termed pu'e page 323consisted merely of a raised platform of loose stones. On these sentries were posted in war time. Behind the flanks, the coast was rough and prevented the landing of canoes, hence the back of the village needed no artificial defense. Traces of the wall are still to be seen about 50 to 60 feet back from high water 1 mark, but most of the stone material had been removed to build a pig wall. Between the wall and the water's edge, a number of wooden sharp points were set closely together and firmly imbedded in the sand. This prevented direct frontal rushes by people landing from canoes.

Pig wall (pa pua'a). Pig walls are usually built at the back of the village or a little distance away to enclose a space termed sauauli in which pigs may roam. Judd writes (17, p. 16):

The village pig pen is a community institution, and from all appearances an ancient and honourable one. The walls are substantial and look almost like fort walls. The acreage enclosed is considerable. Pig pastures is a better term than pig pen. Because of the steep hill back of Ofu, the inland boundary of that village pig pasture is cut into the bank. Pigs are fed coconut meat refuse from which pe'epe'e has been extracted.

The walls are built of loose stone and range from 4 feet to 4 feet, 6 inches in height and about 2 feet, 6 inches to 3 feet in thickness. Steps are sometimes made on the outside with stone, or styles of coconut tree trunks cut to make steps are formed by leaning the trunks obliquely against the top of the wall from either side.