Welcome to the Marquesas
Ka`oha!

Are the earliest archaeological sites in East Polynesia found in the islands that are the farthest east? Yes! Archaeological study shows that people settled the Marquesas Islands 2,000 years ago --- 1000 years earlier than anywhere else in East Polynesia. Other islands, like Tahiti and Huahine, also may have been settled this early, but geological studies show they are slowly sinking, making it hard to find early coastal sites.

The Marquesas offered a few surprises for early voyagers. This isolated and rugged chain has limited beaches, lagoons, and protected reefs. Fishing tools and techniques that worked on the large reef flats to the west caught fewer fish here or sometimes did not work at all.

Welcome to Rapanui (Easter Island)
Upstairs Gallery of the Hawai`iloa Exhibit

Back to the Hawai'iloa page
Back to the Past Exhibits Page
Copyright © 1995, by Bishop Museum. All rights reserved. All media are for the personal use of students, scholars and the public. Any commercial use or publication of them is strictly prohibited.
If you have any comments/suggestions for the documents on this server, send e-mail to webmaster@bishopmuseum.org

BISHOP MUSEUM
The State Museum of Natural and Cultural History
For Museum Information, call (808) 847-3511

Bishop Museum 1525 Bernice Street Honolulu Hawai‘i 96817-0916 USA
Revised on August 29, 1996 by mcb