Pacific Island and significant human migration to this group - Essay Example

Pacific Island Anthropology Human migration from the early man has been a key element in anthropology as a discipline. Prehistoric migration information was initially problematic to study and analyse, due to scanty evidence which considerably lowered its reliance and drawing of conclusions (Auton et al, 2008). Since anthropology studies a wider range of humanity aspects than many other social sciences, it has borrowed a lot from them. Social, cultural and linguistic anthropology can be used together with archaeology to increase validity of the scanty information and give reliable information on prehistoric anthropology. Human migration for instance to the Pacific Islands, despite how indiscrete their topology and distribution is, can satisfactorily be analysed today with advancements in study techniques available. Mention must be made of genetic techniques that have proven to be vital in the field of anthropology, with a rare level accuracy and specificity. Pacific anthropological studies have widely been performed, especially regarding human migration to the region, to unravel astonishing discoveries of how this was possible. Based on geographical divisions of the main Pacific into the three main Islands, anthropological studies have been facilitated. These main groups of islands are Polynesia, Melanesia and Micronesia. This study deals with human migration and the factors surrounding the migration and distribution patterns observed in Polynesia group of Islands. Geography Perhaps, it would be a significant step in studying the geographic location of the Islands, to understand the relationship of the Islands with the source of their inhabitants; the continents. Pacific Islands are named after the ocean in which they are found in; Pacific Ocean, which covers a third of the earth’s surface. Generally, there are about 30,000 Islands in the Pacific Ocean, with a wide geographical distribution touching several continents namely; Antarctica, Asia, North and South America as well as Australia. As earlier mentioned, the major group of islands both in numbers and size are mainly three (Melanesia, Micronesia and Polynesia), with a similarity in their south of Tropic of Cancer location. Melanesia (black islands), include New Guinea and the surrounding islands near North America. Micronesia (small islands) covers Kiribati and the islands around it, most of which are found to the north of the equator. Polynesia (many islands) is the largest group of the three island zones, covering New Zealand and Islands around it. Polynesia extends in a triangular area, with New Zealand to the South, Hawaii in the North and Easter Island to the East. Some cultural practices practiced by the Polynesians included settlement design, largely determined by the size of the island (Burns, 2000). A hamlet or a village could be built, with the former preferring a large area on the island, whereas the later could fit in a smaller island. Art was a traditional practice among the Polynesians, a climax of which was demonstrated in their navigation prowess, perhaps due boat and fishing expertise needed in navigation. Religion was almost a unifying factor, showing similarities that could also point at a common ancestry. Leadership was enhanced and advanced in Polynesia than it was in Melanesia, with a clear choosing regulation for a leader, but from a particular hereditary bloodline. Migration Human migration into the Pacific islands could probably have begun, or at least propelled by the discovery of the Pacific Ocean by early great explorers from Spain (Vasco Núñez de Balboa) and Portugal (Ferdinand Magellan) in early 16th Century. Polynesians are the main group of early immigrants the originated largely from Asia. Some of the questions that fascinate us include how the original immigrants moved and found their way into the distant islands, given that the means of sea transport were almost incomparable with the modern ones. Some schools of thought have been formulated in an attempt to explain human movement from far regions (Corky and Tainter, 1977). The Mainstream theories that explain possible movement of people form various continents into the Polynesia group of Islands were for instance brought forward. These include the Express Train Theory, Entangled Bank Theory as well as the Slow Boat Theory. Express Train Theory According to Holden (2008), Express Train Model which touches around 3,000 years ago stipulates that Southeast Asians were the main immigrants in the Polynesia group of Islands. Migration was in a swift manner, constituting 500 years in history. The immigrants passed through areas occupied by the Melanesians, making little interaction which could not allow significant changes to their culture. Studies showed that these immigrants had a culture of exploring new lands where there was no evidence of previous inhabitants. Genetic studies explain that the origin of the Polynesian inhabitants can be located from Taiwan or nearby areas. Genetic links of these people lacks in other regions for instance in the Melanesia group of Islands, indicating that proximity issues could have contributed to the movement. The use of linguistic anthropology also demonstrates that ancestral link from Austronesian tongues of the early Taiwan inhabitants can be created. The linguistic technique is accurate, up to a period of 4,000 years in history. The Taiwan immigrants later moved on using better sailing technology into the Bismark Archipelago, and stayed there in a period during Lapita people developed (Oppenheimer, 2004). The main artefact form denoting these people is the carefully decorated pottery. Polynesian culture then evolved and developed a few centuries later after the Lapita had continued to spread across the region occupying more and farther islands. Negative effects of inbreeding on genetic diversity and the population existence to extended time durations is a possible setback to the integrity of the theory, partly due to the isolated topology and access to far islands. The strength of this proposition is in the accuracy with which phylogenetics can be performed to unravel genetic linkages. The technology has been embraced in anthropology to raise confidence levels to almost undisputable standards. Weaknesses, however, can be highlighted in the technique basing the facts on the little or lack of original Autronesian ancestry in existence after many millennia of their history. The limited scope of the theory in Taiwan alone does not justify the extrapolation to the whole of South-eastern Asia, leaving hanging questions as to whether it holds true in the larger context. Contradictions on the various genetic origins are profound and aggravated by the fact that regions as far as America have been in contention as other sources of the specific genes studied. Discoveries on the early inhabitants of the region point at another possibility of immigrants also coming from Peru into Polynesia (Smith, 2010). It is still not clear how the migration could have occurred through a Melanesia territory without interactions that could considerably change some aspects of their lifestyle. It is particularly contradictory that the Polynesians passed through the Melanesian territory which had malaria, without carrying with them loads of the plasmodium pathogens absent in Polynesia. Entangled Bank Theory The Entangled Bank Theory contradicts the Express Train Theory, suggesting that the real ancestral origin of the Polynesians cannot be identified. The reason for the contradiction is that many people could have had access to the groups of islands, diluting a specific trait for study. It is argued that, the location of the islands could be accessed by many sea travellers who could have considerably contributed to the genetic variation of the people in the Polynesia group of islands (Lindsay, 1952). A long interaction period between the Polynesians with Southeast Asians as well as with the Melanesians could have distorted any clue in a single origin. Strengths backing this theory can be traced in the long period of time, with all manner of interactions between the Polynesians and their neighbours being possible. Possibly, these Islands did interact on a level likely to cause a link between more than one community of inhabitants. For instance, intermarriages between the inhabitants of the islands are an admissible probability. The weakness of the theory’s postulates is the apparent reservation of cultural practices that have been preserved over a long period of time, without being diffused by the neighbours. Slow Boat Theory Slow Boat Theory stipulates that Polynesian must have been formed from the Melanesians, who apparently possess a very rich genetic diversity. It is argued that the Melanesians could have spread over to the Polynesian territory, having been in existence before. It is argued that the Melanesians could have settled and established long in Melanesia group of islands before the arrival of the Polynesia. By the time the Polynesians were settling, the Melanesians could have started spreading thereby causing some interaction and mix-up. According to Dunn et al (2008), genetic cultural and linguistic changes must therefore have had an element of the Melanesians group of people. The infusion of the Melanesians has also been said to be so strong that the main contributing community in the constitution of the Polynesians is largely Melanesians. Taiwan or Southeast Asian interaction could not have been significant. This has been demonstrated by genetic studies where Y chromosome study reveals three haplotypes that can be probed from the Melanesian genetic makeup. The strength of the theory’s postulates can be placed on the fact that some undisputed genetic pointers illustrate this possibility. The apparent incongruence in cultural practices in both communities cannot be ignore, which could be a weakness in the theory. It is not clear how the mother community could totally be different from a splinter community. Expectations would be that some level of congruence is observed, due to a common origin. Cultural methods of passing cultural heritage from one generation to the other such as oral tradition could not have died out in a span of a few centuries. Besides, if the Melanesia culture was the original culture, the said period of Polynesian migration could not subdue their existence but could have enhanced it. Conclusion To some extent, these theories that try to explain movement of human beings into the Pacific Islands can be used in conjunction with each other to make some contribution to a reliable explanation. When each of them is used alone, the limitations observed in failure to explain incongruent pointers leave more questions than answers. It therefore an open area of research, probably to be effective in future, now that technological advancement favoring Anthropological studies is forthcoming. References Auton A., Falush D. & Hellenthal G., (2008). “Inferring Human Colonization History Using a Copying Model”, PLoS Genet 4(5):e1000078. doi:10.1371/journal.pgen.1000078. Burns M. E., (2000). “Of Tongues and Temporalities: Notes Towards an Understanding of the Recent Chinese Past in French Polynesia”, Journal of Pacific History, 35(2):181–193. Corky R. H. & Tainter J. A., (1977). “An Archaeological Analysis of Social Ranking and Residence Groups in Prehistoric Hawaii”, World Archaeology, 9(1):95–112. Dunn M., Hunley K., Lindström E., Reesink G. & Terrill A., (2008). “Genetic and Linguistic Coevolution in Northern Island Melanesia”, PLoS Genet 4(10): e1000239. doi:10.1371/journal.pgen.1000239. Holden C., (2008). “Polynesians Took the Express Train Through Melanesia to the Pacific”, Science, 319(5861):270. DOI: 10.1126/science319.5861.270b. Lindsay T. B., (1952). “The Peopling of Polynesia”, Scottish Geographical Journal, 68(3):120–121. Oppenheimer S., (2004). “The 'Express Train from Taiwan to Polynesia: on the congruence of proxy lines of evidence”, World Archaeology, 36(4):591 – 600. Smith A., (2010). “Archaeology, Local History and Community in French Polynesia”, World Archaeology,42(3):367–380. Read More