Editing History of Tonga (section)

===The Formative Dark Age: 1550–750 BP (400–1200 AD)===
Little is known about the period because of the absence of much archaeological evidence. What is clear is that population continued to increase, reaching between 17,000 and 25,000<ref name="burley" /> on [[Tongatapu]], and that chiefdoms arose to protect against the increased competition for resources. Tongatapu may have been politically consolidated by a single individual of the future [[Tuʻi Tonga]] familial line, as oral tradition traces the king's lineage back through 39 individuals that could have started as early as 1000 bp (950 AD).<ref name="burley"/> The maritime empire made famous by oral tradition, however did not begin until after 750 BP (1200 AD).