The Polynesians: Ancient Mariners of the Pacific
The Ancients27 Sep 2020

The Polynesians: Ancient Mariners of the Pacific

The ancient Polynesians remain the greatest seafarers in history. Already by the time of the legendary founding of Rome on 21 April 753 BC, Polynesian voyagers had crossed huge parts of the Pacific Ocean and settled on isolated islands such as Tonga and Samoa. Mind-boggling and incredible. Later they would voyage even further into the Pacific, settling the likes of Easter Island, Vanuatu and New Zealand. So how did they do this? How were they able to reach these far-flung islands in their iconic canoes? What were the keys to their success? And perhaps most fascinating of all what drove groups of Polynesians to want to set sail in their iconic canoes into the vast and treacherous Pacific?


So many questions still surround the ancient history of Polynesia and their unparalleled voyaging across the vast Pacific Ocean and in this podcast I was delighted to be joined by Christina Thompson to talk me through this 'Puzzle of Polynesia'. From the iconic outrigger canoes to the canine animals they brought with them, she explains what we do know (and what are the theories) about the ancient Polynesians and their incredible voyages across the Pacific Ocean.


Christina is the author of: 'Sea Peoples: The Puzzle of Polynesia' and 'Come on Shore and We Will Kill and Eat You All'

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Episoder(618)

The Age of Dinosaurs with Henry Gee

The Age of Dinosaurs with Henry Gee

Before Tyrannosaurus and Triceratops, Earth was rebuilding from catastrophe. Out of the ashes of the Great Dying rose a new prehistoric world and with it came the age of the dinosaurs.In this episode ...

5 Mar 1h 17min

Ramesses the Great: Death of a Dynasty

Ramesses the Great: Death of a Dynasty

“Look on my works, ye mighty, and despair.” Ramesses II reigned as Egypt's unchallenged champion for more than sixty years. But within decades the dynasty of Egypt’s greatest pharaoh had fallen apart....

1 Mar 56min

Alexander the Great | Lord of Asia

Alexander the Great | Lord of Asia

As friendships fracture and old alliances break, Tristan Hughes and Dr Adrian Goldsworthy chronicle the epic downfall of Alexander the Great. Alexander’s relentless campaigns from Bactria to Babylon p...

26 Feb 1h 16min

The House of Ramesses II: Egypt's Greatest Pharaoh?

The House of Ramesses II: Egypt's Greatest Pharaoh?

The name of Ramesses the Great is etched deeper into Egypt than almost any other ruler. Colossal statues moulded in his image tower over the Nile. Reliefs of his victories are carved into countless te...

22 Feb 58min

The Fall of Persia | Alexander the Great

The Fall of Persia | Alexander the Great

Tristan Hughes and Dr Adrian Goldsworthy continue the special series on Alexander the Great, delving into the epic sieges of Tyre and Gaza in 332 BC, and Alexander's triumphant campaign through Egypt....

19 Feb 1h 13min

The Skulls of Jericho

The Skulls of Jericho

In the depths of ancient Jericho, beneath layers of earth dating back 10,000 years, archaeologists uncovered something extraordinary: human skulls cast in plaster, their faces carefully reconstructed ...

15 Feb 53min

The Invasion of Persia | Alexander the Great

The Invasion of Persia | Alexander the Great

In spring 334 BC, a young Macedonian king sets out to conquer the Persian Empire.Tristan Hughes and Dr Adrian Goldsworthy explore Alexander the Great’s early campaigns, from the daring crossing into A...

12 Feb 1h 4min

How to Write Cuneiform with Dr. Irving Finkel

How to Write Cuneiform with Dr. Irving Finkel

More than 5,000 years ago, a revolutionary script emerged in the fertile lands of Mesopotamia that would transform how people counted, governed, worshipped and told stories. This was cuneiform, the wo...

8 Feb 1h

Populært innen Historie

rss-dette-ma-aldri-skje-igjen
med-egne-oyne
historier-som-endret-norge
henrettelsespodden
rss-benadet
historier-som-endret-verden
rss-katastrofe
sektledere
rss-nadelose-nordmenn-gestapo
aftenposten-historie
rss-gamle-greier
rss-strid-de-norske-borgerkrigene
rss-frontkjemperne
rss-bisarr-historie
rss-historiske-romanser-svik-drap-og-kjarlighet
historiepodden-ww2
liberal-halvtime
historiepodden
rss-historiepodden-ww2
vare-historier