9.3 Settlement Sequence: The Spur of Spice Trading
151
the east. Initially minimizing the risks of hypothermia seems to have determined
the Spice Islanders’ maritime strategies. Voyages within and through the WPWP
appear to have been favoured over those outside it. And, not surprisingly since
length of exposure to wet and windy conditions increases the risk of hypothermia,
shorter voyages were probably deemed safer than long ones, with distance seen
as a constraining factor. Thus in the earliest colonizing period, it is not surprising to find the clearest evidence for a Pacific settlement is to be found in Palau,
which lies close to Halmahera. It seems reasonable to consider the possibility both
for a Spice Island colony in the Sepik/Ramu area of New Guinea 6,000 years ago
and for a more distant trading colony in southern Japan in the same period. All
three – Palau, the northern coast of New Guinea and southern Japan – lay within
or were accessible through the WPWP. Given the long north/south spread of the
islands of Micronesia, it is clear that the journey to Japan could be divided into short
stages.
However, with increasing maritime experience and confidence, other factors
seem to have come into prominence. It is interesting that the distance from
Halmahera to early settled Palau in Micronesia (the probable first rest stop on a trading route to Japan) is only about 900 km, a quarter of the distance from Halmahera
to southern Japan. This suggests the kind of distance the Spice Islanders were confident to attempt perhaps nearly 6,000 years ago in what we suggest as their early
enterprise of establishing a trading route to Japan and probably, genetic evidence
suggests, of establishing a trading colony there as well.
This distance of 900 km contrasts with the very great distance that had to be
bridged probably two and a half thousand years later in establishing the Cinnamon
Route. After leaving Timor or Java, possible rest stops could have been made at
Christmas Island (about 1,800 km from Timor) and at Cocos Island (about 1,000 km
west of Christmas Island). After Christmas Island, mariners faced a daunting stretch
of about 5,200 km from Cocos Island to Madagascar or about 4,000 km to Tromelin
Island and another 1,200 km from there to Madagascar. Perhaps two and a half thousand years after crossing the WPWP through Micronesia to reach Japan (a voyage
of about 3,600 km which could easily be broken into smaller segments), a distance
greater than the whole voyage to Japan had to be crossed without landfall to reach
Madagascar. Of course, by the time that mariners were sailing from the Spice Islands
to Rhapta on the Cinnamon Route, they had had another two millennia of experience, technology and maritime sophistication behind them. And we suggest that in
the interval Spice Islanders may have acquired a greater degree of cold resistance
and famine resistance.
9.3 Settlement Sequence: The Spur of Spice Trading
In the earliest phase of migration, probably close to 6,000 years ago, spice trading
appears to have been the major spur for long-distance voyaging and the main reason
for establishing colonies, both as trading bases at or close to journey’s end and as rest
151
the east. Initially minimizing the risks of hypothermia seems to have determined
the Spice Islanders’ maritime strategies. Voyages within and through the WPWP
appear to have been favoured over those outside it. And, not surprisingly since
length of exposure to wet and windy conditions increases the risk of hypothermia,
shorter voyages were probably deemed safer than long ones, with distance seen
as a constraining factor. Thus in the earliest colonizing period, it is not surprising to find the clearest evidence for a Pacific settlement is to be found in Palau,
which lies close to Halmahera. It seems reasonable to consider the possibility both
for a Spice Island colony in the Sepik/Ramu area of New Guinea 6,000 years ago
and for a more distant trading colony in southern Japan in the same period. All
three – Palau, the northern coast of New Guinea and southern Japan – lay within
or were accessible through the WPWP. Given the long north/south spread of the
islands of Micronesia, it is clear that the journey to Japan could be divided into short
stages.
However, with increasing maritime experience and confidence, other factors
seem to have come into prominence. It is interesting that the distance from
Halmahera to early settled Palau in Micronesia (the probable first rest stop on a trading route to Japan) is only about 900 km, a quarter of the distance from Halmahera
to southern Japan. This suggests the kind of distance the Spice Islanders were confident to attempt perhaps nearly 6,000 years ago in what we suggest as their early
enterprise of establishing a trading route to Japan and probably, genetic evidence
suggests, of establishing a trading colony there as well.
This distance of 900 km contrasts with the very great distance that had to be
bridged probably two and a half thousand years later in establishing the Cinnamon
Route. After leaving Timor or Java, possible rest stops could have been made at
Christmas Island (about 1,800 km from Timor) and at Cocos Island (about 1,000 km
west of Christmas Island). After Christmas Island, mariners faced a daunting stretch
of about 5,200 km from Cocos Island to Madagascar or about 4,000 km to Tromelin
Island and another 1,200 km from there to Madagascar. Perhaps two and a half thousand years after crossing the WPWP through Micronesia to reach Japan (a voyage
of about 3,600 km which could easily be broken into smaller segments), a distance
greater than the whole voyage to Japan had to be crossed without landfall to reach
Madagascar. Of course, by the time that mariners were sailing from the Spice Islands
to Rhapta on the Cinnamon Route, they had had another two millennia of experience, technology and maritime sophistication behind them. And we suggest that in
the interval Spice Islanders may have acquired a greater degree of cold resistance
and famine resistance.
9.3 Settlement Sequence: The Spur of Spice Trading
In the earliest phase of migration, probably close to 6,000 years ago, spice trading
appears to have been the major spur for long-distance voyaging and the main reason
for establishing colonies, both as trading bases at or close to journey’s end and as rest