Polynesian Explorers and Voyages

Polynesian Explorers and Voyages

• By 1000 AD, Polynesian explorers were settling the Marquesas and Hawaiian Islands, 492 years before Columbus.
• Ancient Polynesians were skilled voyagers, reaching every distant island in the Pacific, covering over 7 million square miles of ocean.

Polynesian Navigation and Ships

• Polynesian seagoing canoes, or pukes, were up to 60 ft long, with double hulls made from COA tree logs or smaller wooden planks.
• Crab cloth sails were woven from laala Le, and handwound coconut fibers were used for lashes.

Polynesian Voyaging Achievements

• By 1380 AD, Polynesian voyagers had traveled to and colonized all 1,000 islands in Polynesia, making it the largest nation on Earth, bigger than Russia.
• Polynesian navigators were the most successful in World Maritime history, thanks to their exceptional skills and ships.

Pre-Columbian Exploration Theories

• The concept that the ocean is easier to cross than one might think, with water never being a barrier to people, is illustrated by Polynesian adventurers.
• Mountains, not oceans, can be barriers to populations, even if they are only a few miles apart.

Polynesian Contact with the Americas

• It is highly likely (99.9999%) that Polynesians made it to South America sometime between 1000 to 1200 AD, before Columbus.
• The possibility of Polynesians missing the large land masses of North and South America is extremely low, given their navigational skills and achievements.

Polynesian Explorers and Voyages

• By 1000 AD, Polynesian explorers settled the Marquesas and Hawaiian Islands, 492 years before Columbus.
• They covered over 7 million square miles of ocean, reaching every distant island in the Pacific.

Polynesian Navigation and Ships

• Polynesian seagoing canoes, or pukes, were up to 60 ft long, with double hulls made from COA tree logs or smaller wooden planks.
• Crab cloth sails were woven from laala Le, and handwound coconut fibers were used for lashes.

Polynesian Voyaging Achievements

• By 1380 AD, Polynesian voyagers traveled to and colonized all 1,000 islands in Polynesia, making it the largest nation on Earth, bigger than Russia.
• Polynesian navigators were the most successful in World Maritime history, thanks to their exceptional skills and ships.

Pre-Columbian Exploration Theories

• The concept that oceans are not barriers to human migration is illustrated by Polynesian adventurers.
• Mountains, not oceans, can be barriers to populations, even if they are only a few miles apart.

Polynesian Contact with the Americas

• It is highly likely (99.9999%) that Polynesians made it to South America sometime between 1000 to 1200 AD, before Columbus.
• The possibility of Polynesians missing the large land masses of North and South America is extremely low, given their navigational skills and achievements.