9.4 Settlement Sequence: Significant Land Area and Rich Biota
153
plants to India may have both motivated and sustained this conceivable history of
transoceanic voyaging.
Though the distance from Halmahera to Madagascar and Hawaii are similar,
again the spice-trading impetus for settling Madagascar together with its very much
greater land area suggests that it was probably settled well ahead of Hawaii. But
the similarity between single-piece curved shell fishhooks in Hawaii and those that
appeared in California before 1000 BC nevertheless suggests that a first-wave settlement of Hawaii took place. Evidence from traditional histories describing the
discovery and settlement of Hawaii supports this. In addition there is traditional evidence for second-wave voyaging to Hawaii. It seems likely, as we have noted, that
Maui the Navigator (see Chapter 16) had sailing instructions for reaching Hawaii as
well as New Zealand, handed down from first-wave explorers, for tradition tells us
that his voyage to the more distant Hawaii immediately followed his exploration of
New Zealand.
The Bismarck archipelago seems to have been colonized at the same time or
slightly earlier than Madagascar. We have suggested that the colonization of the
Bismarcks may also have been partly motivated by the securing of trading possibilities: the seizing of obsidian sources possibly abandoned, or left inadequately
defended, following the massive volcanic eruption of Mt Witori about 3,600 years
ago. Perhaps the de-peopling of the Bismarcks through the eruption also presented a safe colonizing opportunity for Spice Islanders. Long familiarity with this
archipelago through obsidian trading possibly stretching back 4,500–9,500 years
before this, the opportunity to seize a major obsidian source and the short distance
involved may have given precedence to the colonization of the Bismarcks over colonizations of Madagascar and New Zealand. As we establish in Chapter 20, however,
the time margin involved may have been only 100 or 200 years.
9.4 Settlement Sequence: Significant Land Area and Rich Biota
Madagascar, New Zealand and Hawaii were prime migration targets: uninhabited
islands for first-wave colonists and, for second-wave colonists, newly inhabited
lands possessing only small populations which were probably related to their own.
Once Spice Island mariners had developed the capacity for crossing vast ocean
distances following fast warm currents, even when rest stops were minimal, the
defensive advantages of uninhabited islands and the advantages of significant land
area and rich biota were probably the major spurs for migration, especially for
defeated tribes. Though great distance was perhaps still a disadvantage, it was
not seen as insurmountable. For defeated tribes who may have lost spice-growing
islands to invaders, the balance of factors determining the primacy of migration targets was tailored to hopes for survival, with distance from their enemies a primary
concern. Hopes for new trading opportunities became less relevant.
When the international demand for spices increased in the 1st century AD, conflict and unrest in the Spice Island regions followed, as we have seen, with foreign
153
plants to India may have both motivated and sustained this conceivable history of
transoceanic voyaging.
Though the distance from Halmahera to Madagascar and Hawaii are similar,
again the spice-trading impetus for settling Madagascar together with its very much
greater land area suggests that it was probably settled well ahead of Hawaii. But
the similarity between single-piece curved shell fishhooks in Hawaii and those that
appeared in California before 1000 BC nevertheless suggests that a first-wave settlement of Hawaii took place. Evidence from traditional histories describing the
discovery and settlement of Hawaii supports this. In addition there is traditional evidence for second-wave voyaging to Hawaii. It seems likely, as we have noted, that
Maui the Navigator (see Chapter 16) had sailing instructions for reaching Hawaii as
well as New Zealand, handed down from first-wave explorers, for tradition tells us
that his voyage to the more distant Hawaii immediately followed his exploration of
New Zealand.
The Bismarck archipelago seems to have been colonized at the same time or
slightly earlier than Madagascar. We have suggested that the colonization of the
Bismarcks may also have been partly motivated by the securing of trading possibilities: the seizing of obsidian sources possibly abandoned, or left inadequately
defended, following the massive volcanic eruption of Mt Witori about 3,600 years
ago. Perhaps the de-peopling of the Bismarcks through the eruption also presented a safe colonizing opportunity for Spice Islanders. Long familiarity with this
archipelago through obsidian trading possibly stretching back 4,500–9,500 years
before this, the opportunity to seize a major obsidian source and the short distance
involved may have given precedence to the colonization of the Bismarcks over colonizations of Madagascar and New Zealand. As we establish in Chapter 20, however,
the time margin involved may have been only 100 or 200 years.
9.4 Settlement Sequence: Significant Land Area and Rich Biota
Madagascar, New Zealand and Hawaii were prime migration targets: uninhabited
islands for first-wave colonists and, for second-wave colonists, newly inhabited
lands possessing only small populations which were probably related to their own.
Once Spice Island mariners had developed the capacity for crossing vast ocean
distances following fast warm currents, even when rest stops were minimal, the
defensive advantages of uninhabited islands and the advantages of significant land
area and rich biota were probably the major spurs for migration, especially for
defeated tribes. Though great distance was perhaps still a disadvantage, it was
not seen as insurmountable. For defeated tribes who may have lost spice-growing
islands to invaders, the balance of factors determining the primacy of migration targets was tailored to hopes for survival, with distance from their enemies a primary
concern. Hopes for new trading opportunities became less relevant.
When the international demand for spices increased in the 1st century AD, conflict and unrest in the Spice Island regions followed, as we have seen, with foreign