Polynesians
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As Polynesians a group of nations is called, the Polynesian languages speaking and the other under the Māori in New Zealand , but also the residents of Hawaii , Tahiti , Samoa , Tonga , the Easter Island and the eastern islands of Fiji count.
For about 6000 years, the Polynesians colonized the islands of the Pacific in the area of the so-called Polynesian triangle . Probably due to the long isolation of the Polynesians, their original origin is very controversial. Genome and linguistic research on the Austronesian languages suggest an origin from Taiwan . But New Guinea is also under discussion.
The Polynesians were among the most skilled seafarers in history. They settled many of the approximately 10,000 islands of the southern Pacific, including Tonga , New Zealand , Hawaii and Easter Island .
Between 200 BC BC and AD 400, Polynesians sailed north, in a westerly arc to Melanesia and Micronesia , while others sailed east against the current and wind to the Cook Islands . From there, sometime between AD 1 and AD 600, they discovered Tahiti , the Tuamotus , the Marquesas , Mangareva and the Pitcairn Islands . They went out to find new islands and places for their people.
Using certain cloud formations, the waves and the stars, the "water eaters" were able to orientate themselves on the sea. So-called rod maps , which were only used during training, indicated the direction of the waves. The type of ship the Polynesians used is called an outrigger canoe and had two hulls.
The Polynesian colonization led to a wave of extinction for the flora and fauna of the affected islands. The moas and many other New Zealand species were extinct before the arrival of European explorers and are only known to us through bone finds. The same happened to the Moa Nalos in Hawaii . The European settlers then caused a second wave of extinction.
In addition to domestic chickens, the Polynesians kept dogs and domestic pigs as pets.
The total number of all Polynesians today is just under one million.
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See also
Individual evidence
- ↑ Annette Bierbach, Horst Cain: Polynesien, published in: Horst Balz et al. (Ed.): Theologische Realenzyklopädie , Volume 27: "Politics / Politology - Journalism / Press". Walter de Gruyter, Berlin, New York 1997, ISBN 978-3-11-019098-4 . S. Horst Balz et al. (Ed.): Theologische Realenzyklopädie , Volume 27: "Politics / Politology - Journalism / Press". Walter de Gruyter, Berlin, New York 1997, ISBN 978-3-11-019098-4 .