How did hamlets differ from villages in traditional Polynesian settlement patterns?

In traditional Polynesian settlement patterns, hamlets and villages differed primarily in their scale, social composition, and defensive requirements, often dictated by environmental factors and resource distribution.1

• Hamlets: These settlements typically consisted of only a few households or one to two extended families. They were common on larger volcanic islands where food resources were diversified and scattered across various environmental zones. For example, in the Marquesas Islands, populations lived in small clusters spread up the sides of valleys, keeping their homes in close proximity to gardens and food sources.1
• Villages: These were larger, more centralized communities often comprising 30 or more houses. Unlike the dispersed nature of hamlets, villages were frequently organized for protection. In Samoa, settlement patterns shifted toward fortified villages along the coast, featuring orderly house arrangements surrounded by stone walls or wooden palisades. The Māori of New Zealand developed the most elaborate fortified villages, known as pas, which utilized sophisticated defensive structures like trenches and terraces to protect the community.1