Pacific and Southeast Asian Studies

The settlement of the Pacific Islands represents one of the most remarkable feats of human migration in prehistory, as Polynesian voyagers navigated vast stretches of open ocean to colonize remote island chains over roughly three millennia. Researchers draw on archaeology, genetics, and environmental science to reconstruct how these communities spread across the region, developed agricultural systems, and reshaped island ecosystems in ways that still shape landscapes today. Central questions include how to reconcile genetic and archaeological evidence that sometimes point to different migration routes and timescales, and how to assess the long-term ecological consequences of human arrival on islands that had evolved in isolation. Understanding these dynamics matters not only for reconstructing human prehistory but also for informing contemporary conversations about land use, cultural heritage, and resilience in Pacific communities.

Works

122,333

Total citations

503,777

Keywords

Pacific Islandssettlementarchaeologyagricultureenvironmental impactgenetic diversity