Lost Bioscapes Window into Polynesian Settlement Circa 12th Century
Published:11 Apr.2022 Source:University of Auckland
Polynesian explorers discovered a treasure trove of unique plants and animals when they arrived in the Marquesas Islands of French Polynesia, according to new research.
In a unique transdisciplinary study of the Marquesan past, University of Auckland archaeologist Professor Melinda Allen, paleoentomologist Dr Nick Porch and paleobotanist Tara Lewis of Deakin University's School of Life and Environmental Sciences investigated plant and arthropod (insects, spiders, mites) remains, along with indicators of early Polynesian activity, at Ho'oumi Beach on the island of Nuku Hiva.