Polynesian voyaging canoe

Timeline

1. c. -1500–-1000Tonga–Samoa waters · PolynesiaLapita people expanded from Southeast Asia into the Pacific, developing outrigger double-hulled canoes capable of withstanding deep-ocean winds and waves, laying the technical foundation of the Polynesian voyaging tradition.
2. c. 700–1300Polynesian Triangle · PolynesiaPolynesians sailed waka double-hulled canoes, using constellations, monsoon currents, and migratory bird directions to successively reach Hawaii, New Zealand (c. 1250), and Easter Island, completing the largest maritime colonization in human history.
3. 1601–1610Central Pacific island chains · PolynesiaIn the early 17th century European expeditions (Dutch, Spanish) began systematically entering the Pacific; Polynesian double-hulled canoes remained active among the island chains for trade, fishing, and social exchange, showing local celestial navigation wisdom quite different from European sailing ships.