11.3.2 Navigation techniques The Pacific Ocean is vast, covering half the circumference of the Earth. Polynesian explorers were excellent seafarers. They used charts made from sticks and shells to show islands and sea currents, passing this knowledge from generation to generation. They also used stars and natural signs, such as birds and clouds, to guide them. 11.3.3 A great undertaking Settling the remote islands of the Pacific is one of the greatest exploration stories. These islands were the hardest places to reach. The Pacific Ocean is larger than the Atlantic and Indian oceans combined and covers one-third of the Earth’s surface. It is so large it could fit all the land on Earth and still have space for another continent the size of Asia.
SkillBuilder discussion Communicating 1. Working in groups or pairs, explain the migration and settlement patterns in the Pacific islands. 2. Suggest ways in which the physical geography of the Pacific Ocean might have influenced the navigation techniques and seafaring culture of the Polynesian explorers.
SOURCE2 A map of the Pacific Ocean showing migration and settlement in the Pacific islands. The people of the Pacific islands belong to three main cultural groups — Melanesia (meaning black islands), Micronesia (small islands) and Polynesia (many islands).
TAIWAN
0
1000
2000
3000
Northern Mariana Islands
Hawaii (Hawai’i)
kilometres
PHILIPPINE
Guam
SEA
c. 300–500 CE
M
PHILIPPINES
PACIFIC
OCEAN
FEDERATED STATES OF MICRONESIA
PALAU
MARSHALL ISLANDS
c. 1500 BCE
c. 1000 BCE– 1 CE
c. 1–500 CE
Gilbert Islands
K I R I B A T I
SOLOMON ISLANDS
INDONESIA
New Guinea
Marquesas Islands (Te Henua ‘Enana and Te Fenua ’Enata)
PAPUA NEW GUINEA
c. 100 CE
TUVALU
SAMOA
c. 1500– 1000 BCE
Cook
VANUATU
FIJI
French Polynesia
Tahiti (Otaheite)
c. 300 CE
c. 1000 BCE
Islands
TONGA
New Caledonia
c. 1200– 1300 CE
Pitcairn Islands
AUSTRALIA
Easter Island (Rapa Nui)
Kermadec Islands
c. 1000 CE
North Island
c. 1000 CE
TASMAN SEA
Movement of peoples c. 1500 BCE
c. 1000 CE
South Island
Chatham Islands
c. 1500–1000 BCE
NEW ZEALAND (AOTEAROA)
c. 1000 BCE–1 CE
c. 1–1000 CE
c. 1000–1300 CE
Source: Map drawn by Spatial Vision.
Exploration of the Pacific first occurred on simple boats, or dugout canoes, that brought people across the ocean passages between South-East Asia and New Guinea, Vanuatu and the small surrounding island groups. The Pacific explorers travelled in sail-powered canoes designed with unique features such as a double hull for maximum storage over very long distances (see SOURCE3 ). These explorers developed an extensive knowledge of stars, weather patterns and ocean currents. They closely observed the animals and birds of the Pacific, following their paths of migration and watching for the tiny clues that pointed them towards land.
Jacaranda Humanities Alive 8 Victorian Curriculum Third Edition
Made with FlippingBook interactive PDF creator