Polynesia, Migration and Moai — Year 8 Study Pack Flashcards

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Polynesian Triangle

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A large triangular region of the Pacific Ocean with corners at Hawaii, New Zealand and Rapa Nui (Easter Island). It includes many Polynesian islands that share language and culture.

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Lapita Pottery

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A style of pottery decorated with stamped designs. It is an archaeological marker that shows early Pacific settlement and connections between islands.

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Wayfinding

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Traditional Polynesian navigation using stars, ocean swells, winds and wildlife rather than instruments. It allowed sailors to travel thousands of kilometres across open ocean.

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Double-hulled canoe

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A large boat made of two hulls connected by a frame, offering stability for long ocean voyages. These canoes could carry people, plants and animals for island colonisation.

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Moai

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Large stone statues on Rapa Nui (Easter Island) carved to represent ancestors and chiefs. They were placed on stone platforms called ahu and required teamwork to move.

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Ahu

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Stone platforms on Rapa Nui where Moai statues were placed. Ahu were important ceremonial sites and often marked ancestral or community spaces.

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Rongorongo

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A set of glyphs found on wooden tablets from Rapa Nui that may be a written script. It remains undeciphered and is an important mystery in Pacific archaeology.

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Adze

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A hand tool similar to an axe used for shaping wood. Stone adzes were crucial in building canoes and carving statues in Polynesia.

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Star compass

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A mental map of rising and setting stars used by navigators to keep direction at sea. It helped sailors maintain course during long voyages.

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Oral tradition

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Knowledge, history and stories passed down by speech, song and chant rather than by writing. Oral tradition preserved navigational techniques and cultural memory.

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Taro

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A root crop brought by Polynesians to islands and widely grown for food. It was an important part of island diets and planting systems.

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Breadfruit

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A starchy tree crop important to Polynesian diets, transported across islands during settlement voyages. It provided a high-energy food source for communities.

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Archaeologist

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A scientist who studies past human life by examining artifacts, structures and environmental remains. Archaeologists help reconstruct how Polynesian islands were settled.

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Radiocarbon dating

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A scientific method used to estimate the age of organic materials by measuring carbon isotopes. It helps date when people lived on islands and when artifacts were used.

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Rapa Nui

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The local name for Easter Island, famed for its Moai statues and unique island history. Rapa Nui has a distinct culture within the Polynesian world.

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Wind and wave patterns

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Environmental signs used by navigators to determine direction, speed and the presence of land. They are vital for safe ocean voyaging without instruments.

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Settler motive

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Reasons people moved to new islands include searching for food, space, trade or exploration. Polynesian voyages combined planned migration and discovery.

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Canoe building

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The craft of constructing seaworthy vessels using wood, fibre ropes and skilled joinery. Canoe building was central to Polynesian expansion and culture.