Reviews: Vaka Moana: Voyages of the Ancestors: the Discovery and Settlement of the Pacific / Ed. K. R. Howe. Honolulu: University of Hawafi Press, 2007. 360 p.

Over the past three decades, three review monographs have been published abroad on the processes of settling and developing the islands of Oceania, the ethnogenesis of Oceanians, and the history of Oceanic societies. The book of the famous Australian archaeologist Peter Bellwood "The Conquest of the Pacific Ocean by man" was published in 1978 (translated into Russian. - in 1986) (Bellwood 1978). Drawing on ethnographic, linguistic, anthropological and, in particular, archaeological material, the author gave a detailed and detailed analysis of the prehistoric past of Southeast Asia and Oceania. Two decades later, The Cambridge History of the Pacific Islanders (1997) was published as a monograph. It is written by a team of scientists working in various scientific institutions in Australia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, the United States and the United Kingdom. The book consists of two parts and describes the history of the islands and archipelagos of Oceania from the beginning of their settlement to the end of the XX century.

A peer-reviewed book, unlike those mentioned above, occupies an intermediate position between a popular scientific publication and a scientific publication. It is written in an excellent lively language, rich in color illustrations, but also provides links to sources and an extensive bibliography. Prepared by a team of authors, it consists of 9 chapters covering various aspects of Oceania's prehistoric past.

The author of the first chapter (and editor of the book) is K. Howe, a professor of history at Massey University in Oakland. This chapter provides a brief introduction to the dispersal of ancient man across the continents of the Earth, including the ancient continent of Sahul, parts of which later formed Australia and New Guinea. Most of the dates are based on the latest archaeological research. Here is also a diagram of the genetic relationships between different modern racial groups of humanity.

The second chapter (authored by Rawiri Taonui, head of the School of Maori and Native Studies at the University of Canterbury) introduces the reader to ancient Polynesian legends and historical traditions, which in many ways help modern researchers understand the reasons and motives for the settlement of the islands of Polynesia. Rawiri Taonui described some Polynesian myths about the creation of the world and the origin of man, about ancient Polynesian gods and cultural heroes. The author paid special attention to the legends dedicated to the voyages of legendary leaders and sailors, the discovery and development of new lands. Taonui uses the traditions of all island groups in Polynesia and some Polynesians-outliers (Polynesians living on small islands in Melanesia and Micronesia), while the authors of the previous two monographs have made very little reference to the narrative folklore of Polynesians and other peoples of Oceania.

Geoffrey Irwin, Professor of Archaeology at the University of Auckland, has written the third chapter on the settlement and development of the islands of Oceania. The author describes local ecosystems, analyzes the nature of ocean currents and winds over the ocean area, describes the gradual settlement of various island groups in Oceania, draws on the latest archaeological data, as well as special works on the distribution of animals and cultivated plants in the region.

Irwin provides new radiocarbon dates for the settlement of some islands in Eastern Polynesia, referring to the work of relevant researchers. For example, the Marquesas Islands, according to some sources, were settled in 700-900 AD, according to others-in 900-1200 AD (in the book "Cambridge history of the Pacific Islanders" the date is 300-600 AD), Hawaiian - in 300-600 AD. or, according to other sources, in 700-800 AD. e. (in the book "Cambridge

Igor Viktorovich Chininov-Acting Deputy Director for General Affairs of the Institute of Ethnology and Anthropology of the Russian Academy of Sciences.

history of the Pacific Islanders " - 650 AD). Thus, the history of the settlement of the islands of Eastern Polynesia, according to modern scientific research, has a much smaller time depth than previously thought. It also provides interesting information about ships and the navigational art of Oceanic peoples, and provides a diagram of the Austronesian language family with the dates of its division.

This chapter includes three more small sections. The first one (written by Ho Chuan Kun) deals with the problem of the origin of the Austronesians, and summarizes the main scientific hypotheses and ideas on this issue. According to the theory of archaeologist P. Bellwood and linguist R. Blast, proposed by them in the early 80s of the XX century, the first Austronesians appeared in China about 6000 years ago and later migrated to Taiwan and the Philippines. An alternative theory was proposed by archaeologist W. Solheim, according to which Austronesian languages and related "seafaring" cultures appeared in the area of Eastern Indonesia and the Southern Philippines about 7,000 years ago. This dating is supported by the time of postglacial ocean level rise. Modern radiocarbon dating confirms the migration of Austronesians to Taiwan from China around 4000 BC, their penetration into the Northern Philippines around 2000 BC, and further settlement in the Southern Philippines and Indonesia.

Bellwood believed that the reason for the settlement of Austronesians in the region was population growth and consequently lack of land. S. Oppenheimer believes that the early Austronesians literally "swam in the open sea" due to rising ocean levels, while many archaeologists do not connect the postglacial rise in water levels with the settlement of people in the Neolithic era. However, the last rising of the ocean coincided with the emergence of the Tapengkeng culture on the west coast of Taiwan, which also proves the appearance of Austronesians on the island more than 5,000 years ago. Archaeologist V. Micham connects the flooding of the lowlands in Southeast Asia with the time of appearance and chronology of coastal Neolithic cultures. In his opinion, it is necessary to take into account when studying the prehistory of the region the importance of flooding the coastal strip, which sometimes stretched into the South China Sea for 160 km. Meacham believes that many archaeologists had a false idea of this problem, because they did not take into account the fact of the destruction of early coastal cultures due to rising water levels. This happened after 4000 BC. and then pottery-making and seafaring settlers moved south from Southeast China and Taiwan. Analysis of pottery and other artifacts found in the early Neolithic layer of the west coast of Taiwan, as well as in some areas of the coast of Southeast China, supports Bellwood's theory of the localization of a hypothetical proto-Austronesian culture in China. This is confirmed by the latest radiocarbon and thermoluminescent dating.

The next section, prepared by P. Matthews, deals with various cultivated plants that are widely distributed on the islands of Oceania. A separate section is devoted to each species: it tells about its origin, distribution routes and role in the economic activity of the islanders. Recent research confirms that plants such as the coconut palm, taro and paper mulberry tree have entered Oceania from Southeast Asia, sweet potatoes from South America, and the pepper plant Piper methysticum, from the root of which kava is prepared, is an Oceanic endemic.

In the third section (authors-D. Penny and A. Meyer), for the first time in a generalizing work, DNA data are used to solve the problem of colonization of Polynesia. Physical anthropologists use two main types of DNA. The first, known as mitochondrial DNA, is inherited in the female line, while the second, known as Y - chromosome DNA, is inherited in the male line. In studies, mitochondrial DNA showed great similarities between Polynesians and the indigenous population of Taiwan, but the Y-chromosome DNA of Polynesians did not give a definite answer. The reasons for this are still unclear, but some anthropologists suggest that there may have been later waves of migrations along the path of the Polynesian ancestors, which explains the differences in DNA in modern Polynesians. According to another version, there may have been migrations to Taiwan at a time when the ancestors of the Polynesians had already left the island. Research in this area

they continue. DNA analysis also helps to solve the question of the time of the beginning of the great journeys of proto-Polynesians. Here, the DNA evidence is consistent with data from archaeology and other scientific disciplines, according to which the ancestors of the Polynesians left Taiwan about 5 - 6 thousand years ago and headed for the Pacific Ocean through areas of insular Southeast Asia. The use of DNA data also confirmed the hypothesis of purposeful settlement of the islands of Eastern Polynesia. For example, mitochondrial DNA was used to calculate the number of women needed to establish a local population in New Zealand. Tests showed that there could have been about 70 to 190 women on the first trip to the islands , an obvious sign of deliberate sailing. When studying the sequence of colonization of the islands of Polynesia, DNA data also played an important role, proving the direction of migration from west to east. After the development of Central and Eastern Polynesia, the Hawaiian Islands were settled, then Easter Island, and later New Zealand.

There is another problem with these studies. The Y-chromosome of DNA showed a more complex migration structure than mitochondrial DNA. One hypothesis sees in this the presence of social differences between the sexes, when men could continue to migrate, while women remained on the former islands. According to another version, new migrations may have occurred after the initial stage of settlement. If this is confirmed, then it is likely that mitochondrial DNA will be able to detect the earliest group of settlers, and with the help of Y-chromosome DNA - late migrants. When solving the problem of mixing the ancestors of Polynesians with the Australoid populations of New Guinea and island Melanesia on the way of the first to Polynesia, the DNA data again give a definite picture. This process was not widespread when the early Austronesians first headed for the Pacific Ocean. Mating relationships between early settlers and later migrants may have occurred later.

The fourth chapter is devoted to the traditional swimming facilities of Oceanic peoples. Its author, a well-known scientist and organizer of experimental voyages, Professor of anthropology at the University of Hawaii Ben Finney (Finny 1996; Tumarkin 1996), gives a thorough description of various types of ships of the peoples of Oceania (for example, Pahi of the Tuamotu Islands, Tongiaki of the Tonga Islands, Ndrua of the Fiji Islands, te Puke of the Santa Maria Islands).Cruise ships), features of their sailing equipment, control, movement and maneuverability. Graphic images of many types of vessels and their distribution areas are given, and the Hokulea canoe, which was used for experimental voyages in the Pacific Ocean in the 1970s and 1990s, is mentioned. It also tells about the settlement of Polynesia, about the voyages of Polynesian navigators to the coast of South America, from where they brought sweet potatoes, about the voyages of Austronesians across the Indian Ocean to the coasts of India, Sri Lanka, Madagascar and East Africa.

Ben Finney is also one of the authors of the next chapter on traditional Oceanic navigation techniques. Without any technical means and instruments, relying only on natural phenomena and landmarks (the position of the heavenly bodies, the nature of clouds, the structure of waves, the color of water, the behavior of seabirds, etc.), the navigators of the islands of Micronesia and Polynesia could accurately determine the course of the ship in the middle of the ocean desert and find the necessary land areas for them. The chapter provides an interesting description of the various traditional navigation methods of Oceanic islanders, such as the Carolina "star compass", the Polynesian" wind calabash", and the" sea charts " of the inhabitants of the Marshall Islands. A separate section is dedicated to Mau Piailugu, a famous navigator from the Karolinska Satawal Island, who conducted an experimental Hokulea canoe from the Hawaiian Islands to Tahiti using only traditional navigation tools. They also talk about the methods of teaching navigational art, and give an interesting legend about the origin of the art of navigation on the Caroline Islands. A small section is devoted to the famous explorer and researcher of traditional oceanic navigation, David Lewis, who made many experimental voyages in the Pacific Ocean with the participation of local navigators, whom he managed to find on some islands of Melanesia and Micronesia (Lewis 1972, 1994).

The chapters on traditional ships and the art of navigation are very informative and help to better understand how the ancient inhabitants of the islands of Oceania managed to cross vast expanses of water and settle islands many thousands of kilometers away from the continents. For comparison, let us point out that P. Bellwood's book on traditional ships and navigation contains a relatively small section, while the Cambridge History of Pacific Islanders completely lacks such information.

The sixth chapter (written by Roger Neich, Professor of Anthropology at the University of Auckland) examines Oceanic voyages after their settlement on the island world, as well as traditional exchange systems and the ships on which they were carried out. The article describes the Hiri trading expeditions made by the Motu Melanesians on large multi-hulled vessels Lakatoi (more correctly lagatoi); the voyages of traders from Mailu Island along the south-eastern coast of New Guinea. We also consider the peculiar systems of exchange - in the Vityaz Strait; on the Santa Cruz Islands, where red feather belts were used as the monetary equivalent; and kula on the Trobriand Islands. It tells about Maori war canoes, as well as about the two largest systems of exchange and tribute relations in Oceania: the "Yap Empire"and the " Tongan Empire". The chapter contains color-coded maps that represent the five exchange systems.

The seventh chapter is prepared by Ann Selmond, Professor of Maori Studies and Social Anthropology at the University of Auckland, and covers the initial period of contact between Oceanic Islanders and Europeans, beginning with the Magellan voyage and ending with the third voyage of J. R. R. Tolkien. Cookies.

The eighth chapter (authored by K. Howe) presents the views of European researchers on the problem of the origin of the indigenous population of Oceania, especially the Polynesians, on the main scientific and pseudoscientific directions in this field of knowledge: from "Semitic" and "Indo-European" theories to complex scientific ideas of the middle of the XX century.

In the final chapter, Ben Finney takes a closer look at experimental canoe voyages and the rebirth of traditional oceanic navigation methods in the twentieth century.

The monograph pays a lot of attention to the problems associated with the lapita culture. Possible types of ships and navigational methods used by the carriers of this culture to explore the Pacific Ocean are considered. The main directions of their migration and main settlement sites are shown.

It should be mentioned that the book under review does not cover all the historical and cultural areas of Oceania to the same extent. Much more attention is paid to the islands of Polynesia than to Micronesia and Melanesia; virtually nothing is said about the development of the Highlands of New Guinea.

In conclusion, we can say that the authors of these three monographs strictly adhere to the historical approach when describing various aspects of the past of the peoples of Oceania. In addition, they are united by a wide use of data from various scientific disciplines: ethnology, archeology, physical anthropology, linguistics, ethnobotany, etc., which helps to comprehensively study problems. This is especially true for the book under review. It should also be noted that a whole galaxy of ocean scientists from among the indigenous peoples of Oceania islands has recently appeared. In the Cambridge History of Pacific Islanders, this is Laenui and Malama Meleisea, and in the peer - reviewed book, Maori scholar Rawiri Taonui. These books show that ethno-oceanic studies continue to develop steadily. Some hypotheses get additional confirmation, while others are re-evaluated and get a different interpretation. Deep multidisciplinary research is being carried out in many areas, and given the new archaeological excavations and the rapid development of research technologies, it is hoped that many new discoveries will occur in ethno-Oceanic studies in the near future.

Literature

Finney 1996-Finney B. The Renaissance of Polynesian Navigation // Ethnographer. obozrenie (further-EA). 1996. N 3. pp. 37-51.

Tu Markin 1996-Tu Markin D. D. From the Polynesian canoe to the space ship (about Ben Finney and his research) / / EO. 1996. N 3. pp. 35-36.

Bellwood 1978 - Bellwood P. Man's conquest of the Pacific. The Prehistory of South-East Asia and Oceania. Auckland; Sydney; L., 1978.

Lewis 1972 - Lewis D. We, the Navigators: the Ancient Art of landfinding in the Pacific. Honolulu, 1972.

Lewis 1994 - Lewis D. We, the Navigators: the Ancient Art of landfinding in the Pacific. 2nd ed. Honolulu, 1994.

The Cambridge History 1997 - The Cambridge History of the Pacific Islanders / Eds. D. Denoon, S. Firth, J. Linnekin, M. Meleisea, K. Nero. Cambridge University Press, 1997.

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