Pacific and Southeast Asian Studies

The settlement of the Pacific Islands represents one of the most remarkable feats of human prehistory, as Polynesian voyagers navigated vast stretches of open ocean to reach and inhabit islands scattered across roughly a third of Earth's surface. Researchers draw on archaeology, genetics, agriculture, and environmental science to reconstruct when and how these migrations unfolded, how communities built food systems on isolated islands, and what lasting changes they left on fragile island ecosystems. A central puzzle is reconciling genetic and archaeological evidence that sometimes points to different population origins, routes, and timescales for colonization. Equally pressing is understanding how early settlers managed—and in some cases depleted—island resources, a question with direct relevance to how Pacific communities navigate environmental pressures today.

Works

125,582

Total citations

507,935

Keywords

Pacific Islandssettlementarchaeologyagricultureenvironmental impactgenetic diversity