POLYNESIA Flashcards
Who are the Austronesian people? What is their importance to Polynesia?
The Austronesian people are from South-east asia, from places such as taiwan. It is thought that the Polynesians’ ancestors, the Lapita, migrated from South East asian areas such as Taiwan.
When did the Austronesians leave Taiwan?
They left around 2000 BCE & spread through Island South-east asia over time
When was NEAR oceania first settled?
50,000 - 25,000 BCE
When was near oceania discovered by Austronesian seafarers?
The Austronesians entered near oceania around 1500 BCE and intermingled with diverse groups already settled there.
Who are the Lapita people/culture
The Lapita people are the cultural group which settled Melanesia (aka near oceania) and evolved from there on
Lapita people embarked on one of the greatest oceanic migrations - where did they migrate to and when?
Around 1100 BCE the lapita people migrated eastwards from near oceania to the continental islands of remote oceania
The remote oceania islands are smaller and more remote than the near oceania islands - TRUE OR FALSE?
true
Polynesia is the name for the group of islands found in the …
Pacific ocean
Who first named part of the pacific ocean regions?
A french explorer known as Jules Dumont D’Urville explored the islands. He found that it was hard to reach.
What did he name them?
Because there were so many islands, he split them into three sections and named them based off the skin colour of the people, Melanesia (black islands).
Who named Polynesia?
Charles de Brosses called that region Polynesia because there were so many islands (Polynesians means many islands)
A dutch navigator named which island? Why did he name it that?
He named easter island because he arrived there on easter sunday, 1722.
When did James cook explore Polynesia?
1769
What were the theories proposed by the explorers about where the Polynesians came from?
The dutch navigator believed that they might have been transported by the spanish but there were no signs of them so he believed they were placed there by the Lord.
Captain Cook believed that they sailed from the west along with the wind.
A Norwegian explorer proved Captain Cook wrong and said that he did not study the winds properly and said that the Polynesians must have come from South America.
Which evidence was the direction of the Polynesian expansion proved by?
Pottery trails left by the ancestors of the Polynesians indicated the direction of their migration (the Lapita people)
what is an archipelago?
A group of islands
What is the Hokulea?
The Hokulea is a voyaging canoe which was created to prove the theory of sailing into/against the wind correct.
The voyage of the Hokulea was done with a GPS and the boat is not double hulled. TRUE OR FALSE
FALSE - the Hokulea is a double hulled canoe which took part in a voyaging journey only using traditional Polynesian wayfinding skills.
What are moais and where are they found?
The Moais are found on Easter island and act as tombstones which depict the person of significance buried beneath them
The more statues covered the lands, the less trees were found - TRUE OR FALSE
TRUE
On Easter Island, ocean voyaging stopped, why? (theory)
Because of Deforestation, canoes were no longer built and the population crashed because of the lack of resources.
Currently, an archaeologist has suggested that the Polynesian voyages actually stopped at Chile. Why is this suggested?
He found chicken bones which were said to be traced back from Polynesia and he examined a skull found on the coast of Chile with the traits of a Polynesia.
Where did Polynesian Culture emerge?
In Fiji, Tonga and Samoa, the Lapita people eventually settled where the Polynesian culture emerged.
The Polynesians migrated to Marquesas, Hawaii, Rapa Nui and Aotearoa in ….
1200-1300 CE
What islands are at the three tips of Polynesia (HINT: the polynesian triangle)
New Zealand, Hawaii and Easter Island
aka
Aotearoa, Hawai’i and Rapa Nui
The Polynesians transported what on their voyages?
Plants such as Sweet potatoes, yam, Kumara and gourd and animals such as dogs, rats.
The Polynesians used charts but what were they for and what were they made from?
They made charts from sticks and shells to represent the islands (the shells) and the sea currents. This was passed down from generation to generation.
Knowledge of what helped the Polynesians to navigate?
Knowledge of the stars/the constellations and other natural signs like the flight patterns of birds/their breed, shape of clouds, wind patterns, sun, sea ocean swells, island colour reflections on clouds, island blocks, sea colour, smoke-smell-taste and drifting objects.
observation of animals was done because of what?
To see their path of migration and any clues that told the Polynesians where land was