Exploration of Diminutive Spaces: The Connected Isolation of Micronesian Islands

Summary

This is an abstract from the "Social Archaeologies and Islands" session, at the 89th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

More than 3,000 years ago peoples ventured into Remote Oceania using a combination of sophisticated watercraft, wayfinding techniques—including a celestial compass—and sailing strategies passed down orally through rote learning across generations. Over the course of 2,000+ years, different groups settled islands in Melanesia, Polynesia, and Micronesia, representing the most rapid and expansive diaspora in human history. The latter region stands out as exemplary in terms of how and when smaller islands were settled. In this paper I discuss the historical contingencies that have led to cases of relative isolation on some islands in Micronesia through time while in others extensive exchange systems developed to help ensure survival, biological diversity, and the acquisition of desired or needed resources. The settlement of Micronesia represents environmental adaptation par excellence; however, years of colonial rule and globalization—coupled with climate change—have in some ways led to a greater degree of marginalization, disconnections from traditional lifeways, challenges to conducting archaeological research, and prospects of eventual island abandonment.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Social Archaeologies and Islands   •
• Society for American Archaeology 89th Annual Meeting, New Orleans, LA (2024)

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Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 38265.0