New Climate Evidence May Explain Ancient Pacific Migration
Archaeologists have long puzzled over why Polynesian ancestors suddenly began settling islands thousands of kilometers away across the Pacific after a 1,700-year 'long pause'. New climate evidence may help explain this phenomenon, which occurred between 900 and 1100 AD.
Key points
- Polynesian ancestors, the Lapita people, sailed east into the Pacific as far as Samoa and Tonga around 3,000 years ago.
- There was a 1,700-year 'long pause' with little voyaging further east, until between 900 and 1100 AD, ancestral Polynesians suddenly undertook a massive phase of eastward migration.
- New climate evidence may help explain this phenomenon, which saw the rapid settlement of remaining island archipelagos over the next century.
- The migration was facilitated by the development of double-hulled sailing canoes, which allowed for more efficient and safer ocean travel.
Sources
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