Computer model of a voyage

Computer model of a voyage

Geoffrey Irwin, a professor of archaeology at Auckland University, has used computers to determine whether certain journeys were feasible using the sailing technology of the Polynesian double-hulled canoe. His research clearly shows that if people had chosen to sail in a south-south-east direction from New Caledonia, and they held their course for two to three weeks, they could easily have landed in New Zealand. If people did arrive as early as 2,000 years ago, it is possible that they came from somewhere in eastern Melanesia, such as New Caledonia. While this is an outside possibility, it is emphasised that the settlement of New Zealand dating from 1250–1300 AD was definitely from islands in East Polynesia.