SinghKing
Banned
As in the title- looking to start an ATL where Polynesian settler canoes arrive in the Galapagos Archipelago, and begin colonizing the region- ideally, at around the same time as the Polynesian settlement of New Zealand (also around the time that we have genetic evidence of interbreeding between the Rapa Nui peoples of Easter Island and those of South America- 1300's). Here's a relatively useful map, displaying the currents in the Pacific Ocean...
So, does the Polynesian (and/or native American hybrid culture- Chono, Mapache or Cunco?)- discovery, settlement and colonization of the Galapagos Archipelago seem plausible enough? After all, according to one of the foremost experts on this topic- Dr Anna-Sapfo Malaspinas of the Natural History Museum of Denmark in Copenhagen, the lead author of the recent genetic study- "It seems more likely that the Rapanui successfully made the trip back and forth, given simulations presented in previous studies showing that all sailing voyages heading intentionally east from the island would always reach South America, with a trip lasting from two weeks to approximately two months,” Dr Malaspinas said. “On the other hand, the trip from the continent to Easter Island is much more challenging, which would have made it likely to fail or miss the island completely.”
Which would have been true- if they went back the way that they came, setting a return course directly to Easter Island (as they presumedly did IOTL, making these trade expeditions too hit-and-miss to become/remain profitable enough to continue over a long term period). However, looking at the Pacific currents, it appears that colonial settlement in the Galapagos would actually be perfectly placed to circumvent this issue and establish a proper trade route which follows the trade winds and currents in the Pacific all the way- from Rapa Nui to Araucania, then up along the coastlines of OTL's Chile and Peru (following the Humboldt current) to the Galapagos; then back across the Pacific (following the South Equatorial Current) to Nuku Hiva (the Marquesas Islands, in PD French Polynesia- the point of origin for the earlier Polynesian migrations to both Hawaii and Rapa Nui), and from there back home to Rapa Nui- or Hawaii, for that matter. Or, indeed, onwards to pretty much any other place in Polynesia.
IMHO, the Galapagos looks like the single strategically located archipelago which could have facilitated wholesale Polynesian colonialism into the Americas (and led to a proper 'Polynesian Exchange', between the American and Austronesian Hemispheres, analogous to OTL's Columbian Exchange, but commencing around 100yrs earlier); and given the ocean currents and trade winds, it isn't too hard to envision the Galapagos Archipelago being discovered by chance and subsequently being settled in an ATL. What do you think?
So, does the Polynesian (and/or native American hybrid culture- Chono, Mapache or Cunco?)- discovery, settlement and colonization of the Galapagos Archipelago seem plausible enough? After all, according to one of the foremost experts on this topic- Dr Anna-Sapfo Malaspinas of the Natural History Museum of Denmark in Copenhagen, the lead author of the recent genetic study- "It seems more likely that the Rapanui successfully made the trip back and forth, given simulations presented in previous studies showing that all sailing voyages heading intentionally east from the island would always reach South America, with a trip lasting from two weeks to approximately two months,” Dr Malaspinas said. “On the other hand, the trip from the continent to Easter Island is much more challenging, which would have made it likely to fail or miss the island completely.”
Which would have been true- if they went back the way that they came, setting a return course directly to Easter Island (as they presumedly did IOTL, making these trade expeditions too hit-and-miss to become/remain profitable enough to continue over a long term period). However, looking at the Pacific currents, it appears that colonial settlement in the Galapagos would actually be perfectly placed to circumvent this issue and establish a proper trade route which follows the trade winds and currents in the Pacific all the way- from Rapa Nui to Araucania, then up along the coastlines of OTL's Chile and Peru (following the Humboldt current) to the Galapagos; then back across the Pacific (following the South Equatorial Current) to Nuku Hiva (the Marquesas Islands, in PD French Polynesia- the point of origin for the earlier Polynesian migrations to both Hawaii and Rapa Nui), and from there back home to Rapa Nui- or Hawaii, for that matter. Or, indeed, onwards to pretty much any other place in Polynesia.
IMHO, the Galapagos looks like the single strategically located archipelago which could have facilitated wholesale Polynesian colonialism into the Americas (and led to a proper 'Polynesian Exchange', between the American and Austronesian Hemispheres, analogous to OTL's Columbian Exchange, but commencing around 100yrs earlier); and given the ocean currents and trade winds, it isn't too hard to envision the Galapagos Archipelago being discovered by chance and subsequently being settled in an ATL. What do you think?
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