Pacific Migration

How did the Polynesians migrate?

The Polynesians generally travelled by boat sailing on large catamaran canoes of up to 33 metres. These ocean-going canoes had “crab-claw” sails and often had some kind of platform that often boasted a shelter.

These could carry over 100 people comfortably.

The Polynesians also utilised simple navigational techniques to assist in there travel such as the position of stars, clouds, reflections off lagoons winds, swells etc.

Polynesian Migration

The Polynesians were a stone age people that is thought to have originated from China and Taiwan.

They migrated from there homeland of Taiwan around 5000-7000 years ago, colonising what is now Polynesia around 2000-3000 years ago.

By 1350 AD they had colonised and traversed much of the Pacific, colonising all of the Islands in the Polynesian triangle (delineated by the Islands of Hawaii, Easter, and New Zealand) as well as trading with Peru (hence the use of vegetables such as Kumara).

Migration: Advantages

There are many advantages in Polynesian migration: Prevent/decrease overpopulation. Decrease pressure on local environments which the Polynesians

depended upon for food etc. Escape,solve feuds and wars. Exploration to find new islands to solve a lack of land, resources

etc. Most migrations were against the wind as this meant that travel

was safer and more effective as they could turn around as soon as supplies ran low and have a tail wind to improve the homeward journey.

Another VERY practical advantage was they didn’t travel too far and only went so far as they comfortably could so as to avoid “The point of no Return”.

Below is a map of the different migrations, directions and their rough and variable date

Polynesian Triangle