Trails of Polynesia Flashcards
PT: describe the pattern of the movement of plants,including these two elements: the variety of plants available, and the direction of the spread.
The variety of plants available decreased as they spread outwards and further away from their mainland. As shown in the map which was provided above the lighter colour the lesser variety of food and plants which means that at the lighter areas the polynesians also spent less time there. This is known because if they had spent less time at an area, they wouldn’t have had enough time to plant the same amount of plants as the land from which they originated.
PT: How and why could the plants have spread?
The plants would have spread because the Polynesians brought some along with them and its seeds in order to sustain themselves and create a new and stable foundation on the next discovered island.
Since one of the Polynesian navigation tricks were to follow the migration of birds to find land, the polynesians may have brought the plants to land and planted them and the birds may have gotten the seeds and distributed it around the island.
PT: Number Fiji, Samoa, Easter island & Solomon islands from least to greatest variety of plants as shown in the map.
- Solomon Islands (the most)
- Fiji
- Samoa
- Easter islands (least)
PT: Why do you think the variety of plants decreased the further east people went?
The plants decreased the further east the polynesians travelled because they spent less time at each island. The climate also changed and got colder the more east they went which meant that certain plants that they brought wouldn’t be able to thrive.
PT: What does this evidence trail tell us about who settled the Pacific, in what direction and when?
This source can tell readers when the Polynesians went to each island because of when the introduced plants were first grown. This trail can also show who settled the pacific by the species found/grown in each area and how much variety are found throughout islands.
AT: Why might people have taken these animals on their voyages?
They may have taken the chickens, dogs and pigs on board in order to set a new and stable foundation on a new island. Chicken’s poop can be used as fertiliser for nature and each of these animals can be eaten for food. These animals also do not require much food which will be useful in these situations with little food like voyaging.
AT: The rat cannot swim over long distances. Suggest ways the rat must have spread to different Pacific islands overtime.
The rats may have boarded the boats, being attracted to food or taken by the dogs and been brought to other pacific islands.
Suggest 2 reasons why people may have had rats aboard their boats during voyages.
The rats may have been attracted to the food on the boats which were prepared by the ancient Polynesians. The Polynesians may have had no other consumption sources for themselves or even just for their dogs.
AT:What does this evidence trail tell us about who settled the pacific in what direction and when?
Each time the Polynesians travelled, they would leave behind less and less animals at their destinations which would indicate when they arrived and in what direction (they travelled in the direction that had animal numbers decreasing)
A laboratory experiment showed that one pair of Pacific breeding rats with no predators had plenty of food produced 17 million rats in 1128 days. How might this have had an impact on the places to which rats were introduced by the Polynesian voyagers?
The rats which were left behind overpopulated due to many factors (had no predators + lots of food) which is why there was such an abundant amount of them - there were no limitations. For this reason, rats were able to consume anything and breed even more allowing the island to be taken control of by rats - ruining the island
