[Coral-List] did ciguatera cause Polynesian exploration?

[Dennis Hubbard]

Thanks David:

I spent two field seasons on Easter Island and was hosted by Sergio Rapu
who was the Territorial Archaeologist at the time (this is an interesting
story that goes back to Hyerdahl's initial trips). As I understand the
situation WRT colonization, the Poluynesians were super-human navigators
and  made numerous trips to the Marquesaa and possibly Rapa Nui. It seems
unlikely, however, whether there were any regular treks between Rapa Nui
and western South America. There has been a lot of excellent research since
then regarding the sudden shrinking of the population at some point in the
past but I am not clear on the details as I have not worked there for
decades.

Denny

On Tue, Mar 9, 2021 at 11:28 PM David Blakeway via Coral-List <
coral-list at coral.aoml.noaa.gov> wrote:

> It is a really interesting concept! The evidence is circumstantial and
> incomplete, but the authors acknowledge that and advocate further research.
> The article suggests that exploration is prompted by things going bad at
> home. But perhaps it could be just as easily argued that exploration would
> be prompted when things are good.
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-- 
Dennis Hubbard - Emeritus Professor: Dept of Geology-Oberlin College
Oberlin OH 44074
(440) 935-4014

* "When you get on the wrong train.... every stop is the wrong stop"*
 Benjamin Stein: "*Ludes, A Ballad of the Drug and the Dream*"