Ua Huka is one of the Marquesas Islands, in French Polynesia, an overseas territory of France in the Pacific Ocean. It is situated in the northern group of the archipelago, approximately to the east of Nuku Hiva, at . Name Ua Huka is sometimes also found spelled Roohka or Ua Huna. The first Western navigator to sight the island was U.S. Navy Captain Joseph Ingraham in 1791. He named the island "Washington Island" in honor of U.S. President George Washington, a name which was eventually extended to include all of the northern group of the Marquesas Islands. Other names for the island include Riou and Solide. See also Names of the Marquesas Islands. The spider genus Uahuka is named after this island. History Although Ua Huka is located in the northern Marquesas, historically, culturally and linguistically the island's tribes were far more closely aligned with the southern Marquesas Islands, especially with the tribes from Pepane, in the eastern half of Hiva Oa. Ua Huka was settled by Polynesians about 1700 years ago. The first settlers lived in settlements near the beach. In 1998, at Hane, a French archaeological team explored remains of settlements buried by a dune. It is the oldest settlement in the Marquesas so far, dating to 350 AD. Five researchers found seventeen human skeletons, fishhooks, a harpoon point, net weights and scrapers. From the detritus of the settlement, it appears that the indigenous people fed mainly on fish, birds (skeletons of a dozen extinct bird species have been found) and shellfish. As in other islands of the Marquesas, as population density increased, people settled in the upper reaches of the valleys and, favored by the enclosed location, a strictly stratified tribal society developed. From the places of worship in the valleys, it can be seen that there must have been at least five independent tribes, possibly more. Archaeological remains of cult and residential platforms are still visible in the Vaipaee, Hanei, Hokatu, Hinaehi and Hane valleys. American merchant captain Joseph Ingraham, who sailed on the brig Hope from Boston around Cape Horn to China, discovered Ua Huka on April 19, 1791, and named it "Washington Island" in honor of U.S. President George Washington. Another early 18th-century visitor was the Frenchman Étienne Marchand. He sailed from Marseilles on December 14, 1790, on the newly built merchant ship Solide, rounded Cape Horn and arrived at the Marquesas in June