The Tia at Pōtini
Sa‘anapu, Sāmoa
This initiative is supported under the ACP-EU Programme (Pacific) funded by the European Union and the Secretariat of the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS), and is implemented by the Pacific Community (SPC) in partnership with the Queensland University of Technology.
What we know about the Tia at Pōtini
Little has been formally published on the Pōtini stone mound, but village custodians recount that it was once a celebrated tia seulupe—a pigeon-snaring arena where grand competitions were once held. Point-cloud surveys from photogrammetry now reveal a broad, level summit pocked with post-like depressions, suggesting the platform may also have supported a maota (chiefly house), in the manner of the larger Pulemelei pyramid on Savai‘i.
The monument is imposing even beneath dense forest: its roughly rectangular base measures ≈ 60 × 56 m (c. 3,360 m²) and stands ≈ 11 m above the surrounding coastal forest, enclosing an estimated ≈ 30,000 m³ of stone and earth. From the crest one commands wide views of Sa‘anapu’s south-coast reef and lagoon—a strategic vantage in south-west Upolu.
Set within Sa‘anapu in the Safata District—one of several prominent centres of chiefly authority in pre-colonial Samoa—the Pōtini mound likely held a pivotal role in local politics. Whether raised for sport, ceremony, residence, or all three, this tia embodies the architectural ambition and regional influence of its builders.
