Prehistory in the Pacific Islands

Prehistory in the Pacific Islands

Author: John Terrell

Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Published: 1986

Total Pages: 322

ISBN-13: 9780521369565

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How, asks John Terrell in this richly illustrated and original book, can we best account for the remarkable diversity of the Pacific Islanders in biology, language, and custom? Traditionally scholars have recognized a simple racial division between Polynesians, Micronesians, Melanesians, Australians, and South-east Asians: peoples allegedly differing in physical appearance, temperament, achievements, and perhaps even intelligence. Terrell shows that such simple divisions do not fit the known facts and provide little more than a crude, static picture of human diversity.


Book Synopsis Prehistory in the Pacific Islands by : John Terrell

Download or read book Prehistory in the Pacific Islands written by John Terrell and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 1986 with total page 322 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: How, asks John Terrell in this richly illustrated and original book, can we best account for the remarkable diversity of the Pacific Islanders in biology, language, and custom? Traditionally scholars have recognized a simple racial division between Polynesians, Micronesians, Melanesians, Australians, and South-east Asians: peoples allegedly differing in physical appearance, temperament, achievements, and perhaps even intelligence. Terrell shows that such simple divisions do not fit the known facts and provide little more than a crude, static picture of human diversity.


Prehistory in the Pacific Islands

Prehistory in the Pacific Islands

Author: John Terrell

Publisher:

Published: 1999

Total Pages: 299

ISBN-13:

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Book Synopsis Prehistory in the Pacific Islands by : John Terrell

Download or read book Prehistory in the Pacific Islands written by John Terrell and published by . This book was released on 1999 with total page 299 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:


The Prehistoric Exploration and Colonisation of the Pacific

The Prehistoric Exploration and Colonisation of the Pacific

Author: Geoffrey Irwin

Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Published: 1992

Total Pages: 264

ISBN-13: 9780521476515

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The exploration and colonisation of the Pacific is a remarkable episode of human prehistory. Early sea-going explorers had no prior knowledge of Pacific geography, no documents to record their route, no metal, no instruments for measuring time and none for exploration. Forty years of modern archaeology, experimental voyages in rafts, and computer simulations of voyages have produced an enormous range of literature on this controversial and mysterious subject. This book represents a major advance in knowledge of the settlement of the Pacific by suggesting that exploration was rapid and purposeful, undertaken systematically, and that navigation methods progressively improved. Using an innovative model to establish a detailed theory of navigation, Geoffrey Irwin claims that rather than sailing randomly downwind in search of the unknown, Pacific Islanders expanded settlement by the cautious strategy of exploring upwind, so as to ease their safe return. The author has tested this hypothesis against the chronological data from archaeological investigation, with a computer simulation of demographic and exploration patterns and by sailing throughout the region himself.


Book Synopsis The Prehistoric Exploration and Colonisation of the Pacific by : Geoffrey Irwin

Download or read book The Prehistoric Exploration and Colonisation of the Pacific written by Geoffrey Irwin and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 1992 with total page 264 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The exploration and colonisation of the Pacific is a remarkable episode of human prehistory. Early sea-going explorers had no prior knowledge of Pacific geography, no documents to record their route, no metal, no instruments for measuring time and none for exploration. Forty years of modern archaeology, experimental voyages in rafts, and computer simulations of voyages have produced an enormous range of literature on this controversial and mysterious subject. This book represents a major advance in knowledge of the settlement of the Pacific by suggesting that exploration was rapid and purposeful, undertaken systematically, and that navigation methods progressively improved. Using an innovative model to establish a detailed theory of navigation, Geoffrey Irwin claims that rather than sailing randomly downwind in search of the unknown, Pacific Islanders expanded settlement by the cautious strategy of exploring upwind, so as to ease their safe return. The author has tested this hypothesis against the chronological data from archaeological investigation, with a computer simulation of demographic and exploration patterns and by sailing throughout the region himself.


On the Road of the Winds

On the Road of the Winds

Author: Patrick Vinton Kirch

Publisher: Univ of California Press

Published: 2002-03-15

Total Pages: 448

ISBN-13: 0520234618

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Providing a synthesis of archaeological and historical anthropological knowledge of the indigenous cultures of the Pacific islands, this text focuses on human ecology and island adaptations.


Book Synopsis On the Road of the Winds by : Patrick Vinton Kirch

Download or read book On the Road of the Winds written by Patrick Vinton Kirch and published by Univ of California Press. This book was released on 2002-03-15 with total page 448 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Providing a synthesis of archaeological and historical anthropological knowledge of the indigenous cultures of the Pacific islands, this text focuses on human ecology and island adaptations.


Historical Ecology in the Pacific Islands

Historical Ecology in the Pacific Islands

Author: Patrick Vinton Kirch

Publisher:

Published: 1997

Total Pages: 331

ISBN-13: 9780300066036

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The Pacific Ocean islands have long been considered a natural laboratory where the evolution of human cultures can be studied in the context of thousands of island ecosystems. This text presents research in the ecological history of the Pacific Islands. Focusing on the environmental impact wrought by the Oceanic populations before the advent of Western contact, it challenges earlier views that the islands underwent dramatic environmental change only after European colonization. They demonstrate instead that in some cases the indigenous peoples had an often irreversible effect on the landscapes and biotas of the Pacific Islands and assert that these effects often had important consequences for island societies, economies, and political systems.


Book Synopsis Historical Ecology in the Pacific Islands by : Patrick Vinton Kirch

Download or read book Historical Ecology in the Pacific Islands written by Patrick Vinton Kirch and published by . This book was released on 1997 with total page 331 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Pacific Ocean islands have long been considered a natural laboratory where the evolution of human cultures can be studied in the context of thousands of island ecosystems. This text presents research in the ecological history of the Pacific Islands. Focusing on the environmental impact wrought by the Oceanic populations before the advent of Western contact, it challenges earlier views that the islands underwent dramatic environmental change only after European colonization. They demonstrate instead that in some cases the indigenous peoples had an often irreversible effect on the landscapes and biotas of the Pacific Islands and assert that these effects often had important consequences for island societies, economies, and political systems.


A History of the Pacific Islands

A History of the Pacific Islands

Author: Steven Roger Fischer

Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing

Published: 2013-03-13

Total Pages: 396

ISBN-13: 135030672X

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This wide-ranging study of the Pacific Islands provides a dynamic and provocative account of the peopling of the Pacific, and its broad impact on world history. Spanning over 50,000 years of human presence in an area which comprises one-third of our planet – Melanesia, Micronesia and Polynesia – the narrative follows the development of the region, from New Guinea's earliest settlement to the creation of the modern Pacific states. Thoroughly revised and updated in light of the most recent scholarship, the second edition includes: • an overview of the events and developments in the Pacific Islands over the last decade • coverage of the latest archaeological discoveries • several new maps • an updated and expanded bibliography Steven Roger Fischer's unique text provides a highly accessible and invaluable introduction to the history of an area which is currently emerging as pivotal in international affairs. A History of the Pacific Islands traces the human history of nearly one-third of the globe over a fifty-thousand year span. This is history on a grand scale, taking the islands of Melanesia, Micronesia and Polynesia from prehistoric culture to the present day through a skilful interpretation of scholarship in the field. Fischer's familiarity with work in archaeology and anthropology as well as in history enriches the text, making this a book with wide appeal for students and general readers.


Book Synopsis A History of the Pacific Islands by : Steven Roger Fischer

Download or read book A History of the Pacific Islands written by Steven Roger Fischer and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2013-03-13 with total page 396 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This wide-ranging study of the Pacific Islands provides a dynamic and provocative account of the peopling of the Pacific, and its broad impact on world history. Spanning over 50,000 years of human presence in an area which comprises one-third of our planet – Melanesia, Micronesia and Polynesia – the narrative follows the development of the region, from New Guinea's earliest settlement to the creation of the modern Pacific states. Thoroughly revised and updated in light of the most recent scholarship, the second edition includes: • an overview of the events and developments in the Pacific Islands over the last decade • coverage of the latest archaeological discoveries • several new maps • an updated and expanded bibliography Steven Roger Fischer's unique text provides a highly accessible and invaluable introduction to the history of an area which is currently emerging as pivotal in international affairs. A History of the Pacific Islands traces the human history of nearly one-third of the globe over a fifty-thousand year span. This is history on a grand scale, taking the islands of Melanesia, Micronesia and Polynesia from prehistoric culture to the present day through a skilful interpretation of scholarship in the field. Fischer's familiarity with work in archaeology and anthropology as well as in history enriches the text, making this a book with wide appeal for students and general readers.


On the Road of the Winds

On the Road of the Winds

Author: Patrick Vinton Kirch

Publisher: Univ of California Press

Published: 2017-11-07

Total Pages: 408

ISBN-13: 0520968891

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The Pacific Ocean covers one-third of the earth’s surface and encompasses many thousands of islands that are home to numerous human societies and cultures. Among these indigenous Oceanic cultures are the intrepid Polynesian double-hulled canoe navigators, the atoll dwellers of Micronesia, the statue carvers of remote Easter Island, and the famed traders of Melanesia. Decades of archaeological excavations—combined with allied research in historical linguistics, biological anthropology, and comparative ethnography—have revealed much new information about the long-term history of these societies and cultures. On the Road of the Winds synthesizes the grand sweep of human history in the Pacific Islands, beginning with the movement of early people out from Asia more than 40,000 years ago and tracing the development of myriad indigenous cultures up to the time of European contact in the sixteenth to eighteenth centuries. This updated edition, enhanced with many new illustrations and an extensive bibliography, synthesizes the latest archaeological, linguistic, and biological discoveries that reveal the vastness of ancient history in the Pacific Islands.


Book Synopsis On the Road of the Winds by : Patrick Vinton Kirch

Download or read book On the Road of the Winds written by Patrick Vinton Kirch and published by Univ of California Press. This book was released on 2017-11-07 with total page 408 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Pacific Ocean covers one-third of the earth’s surface and encompasses many thousands of islands that are home to numerous human societies and cultures. Among these indigenous Oceanic cultures are the intrepid Polynesian double-hulled canoe navigators, the atoll dwellers of Micronesia, the statue carvers of remote Easter Island, and the famed traders of Melanesia. Decades of archaeological excavations—combined with allied research in historical linguistics, biological anthropology, and comparative ethnography—have revealed much new information about the long-term history of these societies and cultures. On the Road of the Winds synthesizes the grand sweep of human history in the Pacific Islands, beginning with the movement of early people out from Asia more than 40,000 years ago and tracing the development of myriad indigenous cultures up to the time of European contact in the sixteenth to eighteenth centuries. This updated edition, enhanced with many new illustrations and an extensive bibliography, synthesizes the latest archaeological, linguistic, and biological discoveries that reveal the vastness of ancient history in the Pacific Islands.


The Oxford Handbook of Prehistoric Oceania

The Oxford Handbook of Prehistoric Oceania

Author: Ethan E. Cochrane

Publisher: Oxford University Press

Published: 2018

Total Pages: 529

ISBN-13: 0199925070

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"The Oxford Handbook of Prehistoric Oceania presents the archaeology, linguistics, environment and human biology of Melanesia, Micronesia, and Polynesia. First colonized 50,000 years ago, Oceania witnessed the independent invention of agriculture, the construction of Easter Island's statues, and the development of the word's last archaic states."--Provided by publisher.


Book Synopsis The Oxford Handbook of Prehistoric Oceania by : Ethan E. Cochrane

Download or read book The Oxford Handbook of Prehistoric Oceania written by Ethan E. Cochrane and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2018 with total page 529 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "The Oxford Handbook of Prehistoric Oceania presents the archaeology, linguistics, environment and human biology of Melanesia, Micronesia, and Polynesia. First colonized 50,000 years ago, Oceania witnessed the independent invention of agriculture, the construction of Easter Island's statues, and the development of the word's last archaic states."--Provided by publisher.


Island Societies

Island Societies

Author: Patrick Vinton Kirch

Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Published: 1986-10-09

Total Pages: 120

ISBN-13: 9780521301893

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Concentrating their attention on the Pacific Islands, the contributors to this book show how the tightly focused social and economic systems of islands offer archaeologists a series of unique opportunities for tracking and explaining prehistoric change. From the 1950s onwards, excavations in such islands as Fiji, Palau and Hawaii revolutionised Oceanic archaeology and, as the major problems of cultural origins and island sequences were resolves, archaeologists came increasingly to study social change and to integrate newly acquired data on material culture with older ethnographic and ethnohistorical materials. The fascinating results of this work, centring on the evolution of complex Oceanic chiefdoms into something very much like classic 'archaic states', are authoritatively surveyed here.


Book Synopsis Island Societies by : Patrick Vinton Kirch

Download or read book Island Societies written by Patrick Vinton Kirch and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 1986-10-09 with total page 120 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Concentrating their attention on the Pacific Islands, the contributors to this book show how the tightly focused social and economic systems of islands offer archaeologists a series of unique opportunities for tracking and explaining prehistoric change. From the 1950s onwards, excavations in such islands as Fiji, Palau and Hawaii revolutionised Oceanic archaeology and, as the major problems of cultural origins and island sequences were resolves, archaeologists came increasingly to study social change and to integrate newly acquired data on material culture with older ethnographic and ethnohistorical materials. The fascinating results of this work, centring on the evolution of complex Oceanic chiefdoms into something very much like classic 'archaic states', are authoritatively surveyed here.


The Prehistory of Polynesia

The Prehistory of Polynesia

Author: Jesse David Jennings

Publisher: Cambridge, Mass. : Harvard University Press

Published: 1979

Total Pages: 416

ISBN-13:

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Book Synopsis The Prehistory of Polynesia by : Jesse David Jennings

Download or read book The Prehistory of Polynesia written by Jesse David Jennings and published by Cambridge, Mass. : Harvard University Press. This book was released on 1979 with total page 416 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: