How did Polynesians survive at sea?

Polynesians made contact with nearly every island within the vast Polynesian Triangle, using outrigger canoes or double-hulled canoes. The space between the paralleled canoes allowed for storage of food, hunting materials, and nets when embarking on long voyages.

How did Polynesians get fresh water?

Water was carried in gourds and sections of bamboo and stored along with drinking coconuts wherever space or ballast needs dictated. Slips, cuttings, tubers and young plants were first swathed in fresh water-moistened moss, then swaddled in dry ti-leaf, kapa (bark cloth), or skin from the banana tree.

How did Polynesian wayfinders navigate the Pacific Ocean?

The early Polynesian voyagers were some of the best wayfinders in history (Fig. 8.3). They were able to find their way across vast reaches of the Pacific ocean basin navigating by the sun, stars, and other natural cues.

What were Polynesian sails made of?

mats
The sails were made of mats woven from pandanus leaves. These vessels were seaworthy enough to make voyages of over 2,000 miles along the longest sea roads of Polynesia, like the one between Hawai’i and Tahiti.

What did Polynesians eat at sea?

Polynesian Expansionists—A Penchant for Protein Medium-sized vessels measured 15 to 18 meters in length and carried two dozen men; some even had moveable hearths lined with stone or coral so voyagers could cook safely at sea. They roasted meats and some plants, and they often ate fish raw or dipped in salt water.

What did Polynesians eat?

In addition to bananas and coconuts, the Polynesians brought taro, a root fromwhich poi is made; plantain, the starchy cooking banana; breadfruit, a globe-like fruit that is eaten cooked; yams; and sugarcane. For meat, the Polynesians brought along pigs, dogs and possibly chickens.

Why did Pacific Islanders stop sailing?

Nobody knows the reason for The Long Pause, or why the Polynesians started voyaging again. Several theories have been proposed—from a favorable wind caused by a sustained period of El Niño, to visible supernovas luring the stargazing islanders to travel, to ciguatera poisoning caused by algae blooms.

Why do Hawaiian canoes have outriggers?

Outrigger boats were originally developed by the Austronesian-speaking peoples of the islands of Southeast Asia for sea travel. It is believed that the use of outriggers may have been initially caused by the need for stability on small watercraft after the invention of crab claw sails some time around 1500 BCE.

How did the sweet potato get to Polynesia?

The sweet potato plant (Ipomoea batatas) is originally from the Americas, and became widely cultivated in Central and South America by 2500 BC. The plant was likely spread between Polynesian islands by vine cuttings rather than by seeds.

Did Hawaiians use sails?

The Hawaiian sail is very effective in sailing across the wind or down wind. It can sail windward at an angle of about 75 degrees off the wind. Within ten years of the arrival of Westerners in Hawaii, the traditional Hawaiian Sail was largly replaced with Western cloth sails and Western “booms” and “spars”…

How did ancient people get to the South Pacific Islands?

How Ancient Humans Reached Remote South Pacific IslandsHow Ancient Humans Reached Remote South Pacific Islands. While they sailed east from the Solomon Islands to Tonga and Samoa, the wind was at their backs, providing a smooth trip forward that let them populate islands like Fiji and Vanuatu.

Why did ancient people stop island hopping after 300 years?

But after 300 years of island hopping, they halted their expansion for 2,000 years more before continuing — a period known as the Long Pause that represents an intriguing puzzle for researchers of the cultures of the South Pacific. “Why is it that the people stopped for 2,000 years?” said Dr. Montenegro. “Clearly they were interested and capable.

What is the mortality and morbidity of Pacific Islanders?

Pacific Islanders are a racially and culturally diverse population, and the people of the islands follow a wide variety of religions. Mortality and morbidity statistics are limited, mainly because data on Pacific Islanders are often included with those on other Asians.

What are the strengths and weaknesses of the Pacific Island diet?

The traditional Pacific Islander diets are superior to Western diets in many ways. The weaknesses of the traditional Pacific Island diets are minimal and the strengths are immense. Traditional foods are nutrient-dense, meals are prepared in healthful ways, and oils are used sparingly.