Migrations in the Pacific, BCE – 1000 CE

Caption

Migrations in the Pacific

Summary

The map shows the migration routes followed by the Melanesian and Polynesian peoples in the populating of the Pacific.

According to the map, the Polynesian forebears had reached the island of New Guinea (Papua) by about 5,000 BCE, though
the more commonly accepted time frame is about 1,500 BCE. The Melanesian forebears are thought to have reached the island of New Guinea around 19,000 BCE.

From New Guinea and surrounding islands, the main migration route led to the Solomons, Fiji, Tonga, Samoa and the Marquesas.
From the Marquesas, a radial pattern of migrations resulted in the populating of Hawaii (300 CE), Easter Island, and the Pitcairn Islands.

The map shows two migration routes to the Cook Islands, from where the founding population of New Zealand came in about 1,000 CE.

Source

“The Heart of Polynesia – The Cook Islands”.

The Cook Islands website was constructed by Jarvy Web. At the time of writing, the last revision date is given as December, 2006.