The Origins of Human Colonization in East Polynesia and their Relevance to Maritime Migration

Initial investigations 30 years ago showed that a large waterlogged site, Vaito'otia-Fa'ahia (Huahine Island) is the oldest and most diverse archaeological site known in French Polynesia. Extensive new excavations incorporating higher recovery standards and modern dating methods, plus new techniques of anthropogenic environmental discrimination, will provide new perspectives on the age and nature of society, economy, and interaction during the phase of initial colonization in East Polynesia. Better understanding of this most extensive of oceanic colonizations will facilitate greater understanding of the causes and processes of maritime migration in prehistory throughout the oceanic regions of the world.