Polynesian Settlement of the Pacific Between 1500 BCE and 1200 CE, Austronesian-speaking seafarers from Southeast Asia undertook one of history’s most remarkable maritime migrations. Using double-hulled canoes, celestial navigation, and knowledge of winds and currents, they colonized islands across the vast Pacific—from Samoa and Tonga to Hawaii, Easter Island, and New Zealand. This “Voyaging Triangle” covered over 25 million square kilometers of ocean. The settlers brought plants (taro, breadfruit), animals (chickens, pigs), and social structures, adapting to diverse island ecologies. Oral traditions and linguistic similarities confirm shared origins. The final phase, reaching New Zealand around 1280 CE, marked the last major habitable landmass settled by humans. This migration exemplifies extraordinary navigational skill, environmental adaptation, and cultural resilience. Despite isolation, Polynesian societies developed complex chiefdoms, sustainable resource management, and rich artistic traditions—proving that small populations could thrive in Earth’s most remote corners through ingenuity and courage.
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