How the Pacific Islands Were Originally Settled

Settlement unfolded over millennia:

1. Austronesian expansion from Taiwan (~3000‑2000 BCE) into Island Southeast Asia and the Pacific.
2. Lapita culture (c. 1500 BCE) spread distinctive pottery across Melanesia, Micronesia, and western Polynesia.
3. Long‑distance voyaging using star navigation, wave patterns, and bird cues enabled island hopping.
4. Eastward colonization reached Hawaii (c. 1000‑1200 CE) and Rapa Nui (Easter Island).
5. Māori migration to New Zealand (c. 1200‑1300 CE).
6. Micronesian and Melanesian movements from Indonesia and New Guinea respectively.

Oral traditions complement archaeological and genetic evidence.