Polynesian populations maintained extensive inter-island contact before European arrival.
Archaeological, geochemical, and genetic evidence clearly shows that Polynesian populations maintained extensive and enduring inter-island contact and trade networks across the Pacific before European arrival.
The claim is specific, empirical, and falsifiable, passing Step 0 easily. Multiple high-quality archaeological, genetic, and experimental studies (e.g., matching stone adzes across thousands of kilometers, genomic tracking of island networks, and experimental voyaging) overwhelmingly support the conclusion that Polynesians engaged in extensive pre-European inter-island voyaging and contact. There are no refuting papers.
Soares P, Rito T, Trejaut J, Mormina M, Hill C, Tinkler-Hundal E, Braid M, Clarke DJ, Loo JH, Thomson N, Denham T, Donohue M, Macaulay V, Lin M, Oppenheimer S, Richards MB. Ancient voyaging and Polynesian origins.. 2011. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ajhg.2011.01.009
The paper finds evidence of maternal gene flow and voyaging corridors connecting distant Pacific regions over extended periods.
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Ioannidis AG, Blanco-Portillo J, Sandoval K, Hagelberg E, Barberena-Jonas C, Hill AVS, Rodríguez-Rodríguez JE, Fox K, Robson K, Haoa-Cardinali S, Quinto-Cortés CD, Miquel-Poblete JF, Auckland K, Parks T, Sofro ASM, Ávila-Arcos MC, Sockell A, Homburger JR, Eng C, Huntsman S, Burchard EG, Gignoux CR, Verdugo RA, Moraga M, Bustamante CD, Mentzer AJ, Moreno-Estrada A. Paths and timings of the peopling of Polynesia inferred from genomic networks.. 2021. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-021-03902-8
Genomic data reveals a vast and interconnected Polynesian island network across the Pacific, indicating sustained contact.
Weisler MI, Bolhar R, Ma J, St Pierre E, Sheppard P, Walter RK, Feng Y, Zhao JX, Kirch PV. Cook Island artifact geochemistry demonstrates spatial and temporal extent of pre-European interarchipelago voyaging in East Polynesia.. 2016. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1608130113
Geochemical analyses of prehistoric stone adzes demonstrate long-distance, inter-archipelago trade and voyaging in East Polynesia spanning centuries.
Ben Finney. Rediscovering Polynesian Navigation through Experimental Voyaging. 1993. https://doi.org/10.1017/s0373463300011838
Experimental voyaging demonstrates that ancient Polynesians possessed the technology and navigational skills required for extensive inter-island contact.
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