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Micronesia
Micronesian settlement
By David Dent
Micronesia refers to the region of the Pacific east of the Philippines and north of New Guinea. The main island groups in Micronesia include: Palau, the Marshall Islands, the Marianas, the Federated States of Micronesia (formerly the Caroline Islands), and Kiribati (formerly the Gilbert Islands). The islands are low-lying coral atolls and settlers would have needed exceptional navigational prowess to ‘read’ the currents between the islands when travelling by canoe.
Micronesian people are similar in appearance to Polynesians and for a long time this led to the belief that Micronesia must have been settled from the east, by ancestors of the Polynesians. However recent linguistic evidence suggests that Micronesia was settled at different times from both the east and the west. Western Micronesian languages show a similarity with those of the Philippines and Indonesia, and eastern Micronesian languages more closely related to those of Vanuatu and the Solomon Islands.
Archaeological research places the earliest settlement anywhere in Micronesia in the west, on the Marianas Islands, about 3000 years ago. In contrast the earliest settlements in eastern Micronesia are on the Marshall Islands and could be as recent as 50 BC. However as relatively little archaeology has been conducted in Micronesia, these dates remain uncertain – and new research could easily reveal a very different story.
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HISTORY
The FSM has a rich history dating back several thousand years. The islands were originally settled by ancient people sailing east from Asia and north from Polynesia. Later discovers and settlers included the Spanish, Germans, and Japanese and evidence of their former presence is found throughout the islands. Following the trusteeship under U.S. administration after W.W. II, the FSM is now independent and self-governing.
Most linguistic and archaeological evidence indicates that the islands were first discovered and settled between two and three thousand years ago. The first settlers are often described as Austronesian speakers possessing horticultural skills and highly sophisticated maritime knowledge. These first settlers are thought to have migrated eastward from Southeast Asia to Yap. From there, some migrated south to Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, and New Caledonia, and later to Kiribati and the Marshall Islands.
The oral histories of the Micronesian people indicate close affiliations and interactions in the past among the members of the island societies comprising the present-day FSM. The Lelu ruins in Kosrae (1400 AD) and the Nan Madol ruins of Pohnpei (1000 AD) are impressive reminders of the accomplishments of these early peoples.
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By David Dent
Micronesia refers to the region of the Pacific east of the Philippines and north of New Guinea. The main island groups in Micronesia include: Palau, the Marshall Islands, the Marianas, the Federated States of Micronesia (formerly the Caroline Islands), and Kiribati (formerly the Gilbert Islands). The islands are low-lying coral atolls and settlers would have needed exceptional navigational prowess to ‘read’ the currents between the islands when travelling by canoe.
Micronesian people are similar in appearance to Polynesians and for a long time this led to the belief that Micronesia must have been settled from the east, by ancestors of the Polynesians. However recent linguistic evidence suggests that Micronesia was settled at different times from both the east and the west. Western Micronesian languages show a similarity with those of the Philippines and Indonesia, and eastern Micronesian languages more closely related to those of Vanuatu and the Solomon Islands.
Archaeological research places the earliest settlement anywhere in Micronesia in the west, on the Marianas Islands, about 3000 years ago. In contrast the earliest settlements in eastern Micronesia are on the Marshall Islands and could be as recent as 50 BC. However as relatively little archaeology has been conducted in Micronesia, these dates remain uncertain – and new research could easily reveal a very different story.
·
HISTORY
The FSM has a rich history dating back several thousand years. The islands were originally settled by ancient people sailing east from Asia and north from Polynesia. Later discovers and settlers included the Spanish, Germans, and Japanese and evidence of their former presence is found throughout the islands. Following the trusteeship under U.S. administration after W.W. II, the FSM is now independent and self-governing.
Most linguistic and archaeological evidence indicates that the islands were first discovered and settled between two and three thousand years ago. The first settlers are often described as Austronesian speakers possessing horticultural skills and highly sophisticated maritime knowledge. These first settlers are thought to have migrated eastward from Southeast Asia to Yap. From there, some migrated south to Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, and New Caledonia, and later to Kiribati and the Marshall Islands.
The oral histories of the Micronesian people indicate close affiliations and interactions in the past among the members of the island societies comprising the present-day FSM. The Lelu ruins in Kosrae (1400 AD) and the Nan Madol ruins of Pohnpei (1000 AD) are impressive reminders of the accomplishments of these early peoples.
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