Polynesian Expansion Across the Pacific
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In this topic we will explore:
- The Origin of Polynesian People - Farming, fishing and trading - The lives of women - Art and Decoration - Case Study: Maori Culture |
- Polynesian myths and legends - Tribal power - Warfare - Case Study: Easter Island |
The journey of the Pacific people began on the small islands to the north of New Guinea and spread to the furthest corners of the great Pacific Ocean. The final Pacific voyage took the Polynesian explorers from the tropics to the stormier seas and the cooler climate of New Zealand. It was here, in approximately 1000 CE, that the story of the Maori began. The new arrivals became one of the most powerful of the Pacific peoples. The Maori adapted Polynesian traditions to suit life in a land of forests and mountains topped with ice and snow in winter. The languages, tattoos, art and beliefs remain as evidence of the origins and shared Polynesian identity of the Pacific people, and their place in the longest and most adventurous journey of human history.
Map of the Pacific Ocean showing the period of migration and settlement of the Pacific islands.
The people of the Pacific islands belong to three main cultural groups: Melanesia, Micronesia and Polynesia.
Watch: The Polynesian Wayfinders
