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On the Road of the Winds

An Archaeological History of the Pacific Islands before European Contact, Revised and Expanded Edition
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( 89 ratings, 14 reviews)
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
On the Road of the Winds explores the vast human history of the Pacific Islands, home to diverse indigenous cultures such as Polynesian navigators, Micronesian atoll dwellers, Easter Island’s statue carvers, and Melanesian traders. Beginning over 40,000 years ago with early migrations from Asia, the book traces the development of these societies up to European contact between the sixteenth and eighteenth centuries. This updated edition includes new illustrations and a comprehensive bibliography, integrating recent archaeological, linguistic, and biological research to illuminate ancient Pacific history.
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Format: Paperback / softback
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

This book is ideal for readers interested in archaeology, anthropology, history, and Oceanic cultures, including scholars, students, and informed general readers seeking a thorough understanding of Pacific Island prehistory and cultural development.

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Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

The Pacific Ocean covers one-third of the earth’s surface and encompasses many thousands of islands that are home to numerous human societies and cultures. Among these indigenous Oceanic cultures are the intrepid Polynesian double-hulled canoe navigators, the atoll dwellers of Micronesia, the statue carvers of remote Easter Island, and the famed traders of Melanesia.

Decades of archaeological excavations—combined with allied research in historical linguistics, biological anthropology, and comparative ethnography—have revealed much new information about the long-term history of these societies and cultures. On the Road of the Winds synthesizes the grand sweep of human history in the Pacific Islands, beginning with the movement of early people out from Asia more than 40,000 years ago and tracing the development of myriad indigenous cultures up to the time of European contact in the sixteenth to eighteenth centuries.

This updated edition, enhanced with many new illustrations and an extensive bibliography, synthesizes the latest archaeological, linguistic, and biological discoveries that reveal the vastness of ancient history in the Pacific Islands.

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

Praised as a "grand synthesis" and "excellent," this revised edition is recognised for its comprehensive coverage of Oceanic prehistory, offering significant new insights from recent excavations. Reviewers highlight its merit as a near-classic work that effectively updates and sometimes challenges established wisdom, emphasising the importance of trade networks and environmental changes in shaping Pacific Island cultures.

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9780520292819

Publisher: University of California Press

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 07 November 2017

Country: United States

Imprint: University of California Press

Edition: 2nd Revised edition

Illustration: 141 b-w, 15 maps, 12 tables

Audience: General / adult, Professional and scholarly

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 25.0mm

Width: 178.0mm

Height: 254.0mm

Weight: 726g

Pages: 408

About the Author

Patrick Vinton Kirch is Chancellor's Professor Emeritus of Anthropology at the University of California, Berkeley, and the author of twelve books including A Shark Going Inland Is My Chief: The Island Civilization of Ancient Hawai'i and Anahulu: The Anthropology of History in the Kingdom of Hawaii.

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