HISTORY
Migrations were accomplished
in successive steps made over several centuries. The first wave
of immigrants in the Pacific islands took place during the last
ice-age period (110,000 – 8,000 BC).
It is believed that Australia,
Tasmania and New Guinea would have received the first Papuan-language
migrations from southeast Asia around 53,000 to 35,000 BC. Then
around 4,000 BC, autroneasian-language people from Taiwan region
got mixed with the previous ones. This mix evolved to what is
known as the “lapita” culture. This lapita culture
is characterized by a particular type of finely decorated ceramics.
From 1600-1500 BC, this people
started to spread in Micronesia (Marianne, Marshall archipelagos
…) then in Melanesia (Papua – New Guinea, Salomon
islands) until it reached occidental Polynesia (Fiji, Tonga, Samoa)
around 1,000 BC. One more century will be necessary to reach the
rest of Polynesia. Scientists believe today that all central archipelagos
(Cook, Marquesas, Society) were populated at the same time. Though
it is in the Marquesas islands that were discovered the oldest
vestiges of this civilization dated 150 BC by R.C. SUGGS. Marquesas
islands are still considered today as the starting point for eastern
Polynesia settlements.
From these archipelagos, a
new migration wave started, settling the Hawaiian islands (USA)
around 300-400 AD, Easter Island (Chile) from 400-500 AD, and
finally New Zealand from 700-800 AD.
The Austral archipelago was
colonized around year 950 AD while Tuamotu and Gambier migrations
are dated around the 12th century (tests made with Carbon 14).
