Polynesia

[Huayna Capac357]

Does anyone know the most recent data/theories about the origins of the Polynesians?

Please post links, etc.

 

[Traitorfish]

Well, according to Wikipedia, they're "a subset of the sea-migrating Austronesian people and the tracing of Polynesian languages places their prehistoric origins in the Malay archipelago."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polynesians#History

 

[TheLastOne36]

Well, according to Wikipedia, they're "a subset of the sea-migrating Austronesian people and the tracing of Polynesian languages places their prehistoric origins in the Malay archipelago."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polynesians#History

According to my "historical Atlas" book, they Came along other austronesian and indoneysian peoples from SouthEast Asia, and the Polynesians in particular went to Papua new Guinea and then starting sailing east on there canoes to the pacific islands.

 

[Knight-Dragon]

I have read of a genetic study that links their point of origin to Taiwan somewhere... I don't think I can find the link.

 

[Illdisposed]

This is certainly not the most recent theory on the subject but in 1947 Thor Heyerdhal, famous Norwegian adventurer, successfully provided evidence for his hypothesis that Polynesia was settled from East to West and not otherwise.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kon-Tiki

 

[cubsfan6506]

That doesn't prove anything other that it was possible.

 

[Tee Kay]

From archeaological and other evidence it seemed the islands were gradually settled from the west. Samoa, Tonga and the western islands were settled around 1600–1200 BC. Cook Islands, Tahiti, the Tuamotus and the Marquesas Islands were settled later, in between 300BC to AD100. Around AD500 the easternmost islands were settled, eg Mangareva, Pitcairn, etc. Easter was settled around AD800, Hawaii around AD500. New Zealand was the last major island to be settled, in around AD1000.

 

[Arwon]

Knight Dragon, it's not genetic evidence, it's mainly linguistic evidence. One of the greatest successes in the field of comparative/historical linguistics has been, alongside a little bit of archeological evidence, tracing the expansion of Austronesians from Taiwan outwards, island by island.

 

[warpus]

I have read of a genetic study that links their point of origin to Taiwan somewhere... I don't think I can find the link.

My "Atlas of World History" claims the same thing.

 

[Eran of Arcadia]

So did Guns, Germs, and Steel, which devoted a chapter to Polynesia.

 

[Huayna Capac357]

So did Guns, Germs, and Steel, which devoted a chapter to Polynesia.

I know, I read GGS and it is one of my favorite books ever , but I think I heard something about British Columbia or something.....have you??? If so, is it true???

 

[Tee Kay]

Collapse is also by Jared Diamond is a good read as well (there's two/three sections devoted to Easter, Mangereva and Tikopia respectively)

 

[Arwon]

Diamond talks about Polynesia a lot because it's a well established bit of history and, as a series of islands, a perfect natural experiment for a lot of the things he talks about (ie, the people are the same, the variables are environmental).