Polynesians in America before Columbus

[Glen Miyashiro]

Archaeologists report the discovery of 14th-century chicken bones in Chile (link: New Scientist (http://www.newscientist.com/article.ns?id=dn11987)). The hypothesis is that Polynesian explorers from Rapa Nui made landfall in South America, ate lunch, looked around, and then decided to go home. :D

[Leo Lakio]

Earliest evidence of malihini, perhaps?

Just as long as they didn't tell any indigenous Chileans, "well, this is how we do it back in Rapa Nui...":p

[LikaNui]

Earliest evidence of malihini, perhaps?
Just as long as they didn't tell any indigenous Chileans, "well, this is how we do it back in Rapa Nui..." :p Oh, that's an easy easy nomination for Funniest Post Of The Week! Well done! :D

(Although I think I might've sprained something when I fell out of my chair laughing.) :o

[Leo Lakio]

AF's thought: Earliest evidence of plate lunch.

[craigwatanabe]

AF's thought: Earliest evidence of plate lunch.

Hana's chicken plate!!! Remember that place on Sheridan street before they moved to Pearl city?

[LikaNui]

AF's thought: Earliest evidence of plate lunch. Yeah, maybe, but... no styrofoam containers!? :confused:

:p

[LikaNui]

Okay, now Associated Press has picked up the story, as seen in this Breaking News item (http://the.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/2007/Jun/04/br/br6859207341.html) on the Advertiser's website.
And no surprise -- it starts out with "Why did the Polynesian chicken cross the ocean?"

:rolleyes:

[Menehune Man]

Rapa Nui is believed to have been settled between 300 and 1200 CE. I know that's a wide range of time,
but it's definitely earlier than those chicken bones.

So, sounds logical to me, that Polynesians made it just that much further East in order to reach the Americas.

[timkona]

I have always been impressed with Polynesian voyaging knowledge. Their mastery of astronomy for navigation was cutting edge for their time.

It's a shame that cutting edge astronomy is no longer revered by the culture.:cool:

[Leo Lakio]

It's a shame that cutting edge astronomy is no longer revered by the culture.:cool:You're saying the work of the Polynesian Voyaging Society is for naught?:confused:

[Glen Miyashiro]

I suspect Tim is talking about Native Hawaiians versus the astronomy researchers on Mauna Kea.

[Leo Lakio]

Ah. Thanks, Glen.

[timkona]

The cutting edge of astronomy was navigation by the stars 2500 years ago when Polynesians and Hawaiians were leading the world. Today, the cutting edge in the industry can be found on top of Mauna Kea. And many folks, who grew up on Big Island, have worked up there.

The cutting edge of any science is always moving outward as knowledge increases. And that is wonderful.

[Keanu]

I have always been impressed with Polynesian voyaging knowledge. Their mastery of astronomy for navigation was cutting edge for their time.

It's a shame that cutting edge astronomy is no longer revered by the culture.:cool:


Who is served by those huge telescopes on Mauna Kea Tim? Who built them and for what purpose? Does mankind need these telescopes to explore strange new worlds? Do we need them in order to seek out new life and new civilizations? Are they necessary to allow mankind to boldly go where no one has gone before? :rolleyes:

Don't pin your argument on culture Tim, my ancestors didn't need mega telescopes to sustain themselves.

[Menehune Man]

Does mankind need these telescopes to explore strange new worlds? Do we need them in order to seek out new life and new civilizations? Are they necessary to allow mankind to boldly go where no one has gone before?

I would like to respond to this query.

Mankind does seem to have a kind of "need" for exploring. Our own world and as far as we can see. That second part is where places like the telescopes atop Mauna Kea come in. It's not a need like food, water or sleep, but we just might discover something out there that'll save mankind. Though probably not. HaHa!

This "need" to explore is what got all of Polynesia populated.

Do you agree?

[Keanu]

This "need" to explore is what got all of Polynesia populated.

Do you agree?

I somewhat agree but Hawaiians did not rely solely on the stars for navigation (as Tim seems to think). Hawaiians also used the sun, moon, wind, waves, ocean current, clouds, and seabirds to navigate.

[Menehune Man]

1)Don't pin your argument on culture Tim, my ancestors didn't need mega telescopes to sustain themselves.

2)I somewhat agree but Hawaiians did not rely solely on the stars for navigation (as Tim seems to think). Hawaiians also used the sun, moon, wind, waves, ocean current, clouds, and seabirds to navigate.

1) No one had the technology in the times of Polynesian Exploration.
And we're not talking about sustaining, because they're not sustaining us now either.

2) Polynesian Wayfinding is as remarkable as it is accurate! All of the islands in the Pacific are tiny dots in a vast ocean, so to find the way back and forth between them is a major feat. I'm not sure that Tim didn't know all of the aspects of P.W.
but thanks for sharing, because I know some have now learned it.