16 Questions
What was the occupation of the person who discovered the ancient cemetery?
Backhoe operator
What is the name of the people whose bones were found in the ancient cemetery?
Lapita
From where did the Lapita people's language originate?
Taiwan
What is unique about the Lapita pottery decoration style?
It was created by pressing a carved stamp into the clay
How many complete Lapita pots were discovered in the cemetery?
6
What is the estimated age of the Lapita cemetery?
3,000 years old
What is the name of the island where the Lapita cemetery was discovered?
Éfaté
What was found along with the human bones in the cemetery?
Animal bones and obsidian flakes
What was Captain James Cook doing on his third expedition to the Pacific?
Discovering the islands across the Pacific
What surprised Captain James Cook when he arrived in Hawaii?
The similarity of the native people's language to those he had heard elsewhere
What was the significance of the archaeological find on the island of Éfaté?
It shed light on the origins of the Polynesian people
What is Professor Spriggs' affiliation?
Australian National University
What type of data is being used to understand the migration of Pacific seafarers?
Climate data from corals and alpine lakes
What was the likely route of the second wave of seafarers?
Across the entire Pacific
What was the significance of the site discovered on the island of Éfaté?
It was a first- or second-generation site of Pacific explorers
Why was the discovery on the island of Éfaté considered fortunate?
It was a discovery made by chance
Study Notes
Captain James Cook's Voyage
- In 1778, Captain James Cook "discovered" Hawaii on his third expedition to the Pacific.
- He had explored many islands across the Pacific, from New Zealand to Easter Island.
- Cook was surprised to find that the natives of Hawaii spoke a familiar tongue, similar to those he had heard on other islands.
The Lapita People
- Archaeological findings on the island of Éfaté, Vanuatu, have revealed an ancient seafaring people, the Lapita.
- The Lapita were the distant ancestors of today's Polynesians.
- They were skilled adventurers who explored the Pacific, bringing their families, livestock, and tools to build new lives.
- Within a few centuries, the Lapita expanded their world from Papua New Guinea to Tonga, discovering and colonizing many tropical islands.
Lapita Characteristics
- The Lapita language, variants of which are still spoken across the Pacific, originated from Taiwan.
- Their pottery decoration style, created by pressing a carved stamp into the clay, likely originated from the northern Philippines.
- The Lapita were skilled potters, as evidenced by the discovery of six complete Lapita pots in Éfaté.
The Éfaté Discovery
- A backhoe operator discovered a 3,000-year-old burial ground on Éfaté, containing the graves of some of the Pacific's first explorers.
- The site is the oldest cemetery ever found in the Pacific islands.
- Archaeologists have uncovered the bones of at least 62 individuals, including old men, young women, and babies.
- The discovery has provided a dramatic increase in available data for researchers.
This passage describes Captain James Cook's third expedition to the Pacific, where he discovered Hawaii in 1778. Learn about his journey and exploration of various islands across the Pacific.
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