Papae ‘o Telea Royal Tomb
Ancient graves are the most common historical site in Tonga, with the Papae 'o Telea royal tombs being among the most prominent. The Papae 'o Telea are examples of just two of roughly 28 royal graves located in the Tongatapu hamlet of Mu'a, each in a pyramid-like stone memorial. Tele'a, a monarch (Tu'i Tonga) who reigned during the 16th century, is buried in one of the graves.
Tonga's ancient masonry structures are unique in the Pacific, and the largest of them, Lapaha's Paepae 'o Tele'a tombs, is being considered for World Heritage Site status. In December 2012, Dr. Geoffrey Clark of the Australian National University's Department of Archaeology and Natural History traveled to Tonga to assist the Lapaha community and the Tonga government in preparing a dossier for formal submission to UNESCO in the hopes of having the Paepae 'o Tele'a Royal Tomb recognized as a World Heritage Site.
The stone graves, which were built on reclaimed land in an old harbor, date back to the Tu'i Tonga chiefdom's Maritime Empire, which began construction of its capital at Lapaha in eastern Tongatapu some 1,000 years ago. "These are some of the best-preserved sites in the Pacific, and the Paepae is the most extensive piece of stonework or the largest masonry monument in terms of the weight of the stone," Dr. Clark added. Much of the structure's foundation is now underground, and the tombs appear aged and drab, unlike when they were first created as gleaming monuments.
Location: Mu’a, Tongatapu
