ANTH 145 Lecture Notes - Lecture 12: Diffraction, Dead Reckoning, Polynesians
Document Summary
Melanesia (solomon islands, new guinea), polynesia, and micronesia. Melanesia - generally darker skin complexion than others in region. Micronesia - a us possession at times, and some still are. Thousands of inhabitable islands across the pacific, all populated by ad 1000. 50,000 - 40,000 bc, first people came by boat from indonesia in the pleistocene. Second wave of colonization of the pacific, the lapita culture. Tahiti and marquesas - ad 500 - 600. Some sailors, from philippines (originally from taiwan), moved to madagascar. Polynesian boats were held together by ropes, not adhesives or fasteners. The navigators of satawal and pulawat in micronesia. Navigated by stars and sun (fore-and-aft start system) A series of stars was used to counter drifting caused by currents. Reading swells if you can"t see the stars. A certain state of mental concentration/meditation was required (mental dead reckoning) Diffraction and disruption of swells reveals presence of unknown islands. Clouds and birds surrounding islands (20-40 miles from islands)
