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When did people first settle western Polynesia?
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Polynesian culture
Moai statue, Easter Island.
People of the Lapita culture first settled western Polynesia approximately 3,000 years ago, or by about 1000 bce.123
These settlers, who were highly mobile seaborne explorers, arrived in the region via long-range voyages in seaworthy sailing canoes. Archaeological evidence for this early settlement is primarily found in the form of distinctive Lapita pottery shards, such as those discovered in the Mulifanua Lagoon on Upolu in the Samoan archipelago. Following their arrival, these groups established a foundation for the further expansion and settlement of eastern Polynesia.1425