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The fact that the leading theory of anthropologists for a long time was vegetation rafts is laughable in the face of the distances Polynesian people regularly t
by throwaway2048 5y ago
The fact that the leading theory of anthropologists for a long time was vegetation rafts is laughable in the face of the distances Polynesian people regularly traveled, it speaks to the parochial nature of much of the field.
- scq 5y agoSweet potatoes found in Polynesia diverged from their ancestors in the Americas 100,000 years ago, long before the islands were colonized by humans. https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-018-04488-4 https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-018-04488-4
- nkoren 5y agoAlso, the fact that many Polynesian languages used nearly the same word for "sweet potato" as some South American languages (kuumala -- Polynesian vs. kumara/cumal -- Quechua) is kind of a clue, yes? The fact that the "vegetation raft" theory persisted for more than a few seconds in the face of this knowledge always astonished me.
- deleted 5y ago[deleted]
- eythian 5y agoNot just nearly the same. It's literally kūmara in Māori.