Science a GoGo's Home Page Forums General Discussion General Science Discussion Forum Polynesians discovered America

Work on chicken bones from South America show the Polynesians got there before Columbus. But not before the Native Americans! I've corresponded with Lisa several times regarding Polynesian migration through the Pacific. Her speciality is actually rats.

http://www.latimes.com/news/science/la-sci-chickens5jun05,0,5155665.story?coll=la-home-center

Intesting read, somewhere (Oslo?) Thor Hyerdahl is turning over in his mausauleum.

As a kid, I was facinated with the South Sea Islands, I remember reading "Kon-Tiki" when I was 10 and later, "Fatu Hiva". I recall that the first Spaniards to visit the Marquesas were astonished to see that the higher ranking Islanders kept pet Cats. No felines are indigenous to Polynesia (and they HATE to swim!). There are two girls living not far from where I am, twins from Cuzco, Peru, that I've gotten to know. They were surprised top learn that the Samoan worrd for egg - "Ulu" is the same as their word in the Cuzco-Inca dialect, "Che-qua" or something like that.

Would that dialect be "Quechua"?

Yeah, that's it, they're from the area of Cuzco. The met a couple of Commercial Fishermen and ended up living here. Tiny little, pale-skinned things, they look TOTALLY out of place in Samoa.

The King of Samoa died recently. Was he recognised as King in American Samoa?

Regarding South America. I remeber years ago doing research on Polynesian music. I noticed similarities between some South American pottery and Pacific Island styles. Mocha, I think it was. I'll try to find specifically. The idea crossed my mind then that it would make sense the Polynesians had reached America. They obviously discovered new islands by just keeping going in that direction. Their myths told them Maui was fishing up more islands.