Global Patterns in Island Colonization during the Holocene

Abstract

Analysis of the spatial and temporal structure of global island colonization allows us to frame the extent of insular human cultural diversity, model the impact of common environmental factors cross-culturally, and understand the contribution of island maritime societies to big historical processes. No such analysis has, however, been undertaken since the 1980s. In this paper we review and update global patterns in island colonization, synthesizing data from all the major island groups and theaters and undertaking quantitative and qualitative analysis of these data. We demonstrate the continued relevance of certain biogeographic and environmental factors in structuring how humans colonized islands during the Holocene. Our analysis also suggests the importance of other factors, some previously anticipated—such as culturally ingrained seafaring traditions and technological enhancement of dispersal capacity—but some not, such as the relationship between demographic growth and connectivity, differing trophic limitations impinging on colonizing farmers versus hunter-gatherer-foragers, and the constraining effects of latitude. We also connect colonization with continental dynamics: both the horizontal transmission of farming lifestyles earlier in the Holocene, and subsequent centrifugal processes associated with early state formation later in the Holocene.

Long‐term trajectories of non‐native vegetation on islands globally

“…year BP. According to current information available, few remote islands were colonized before this date, given constraints on ocean voyaging technology (Leppard et al, 2022).…”

Responses of Caribbean Mangroves to Quaternary Climatic, Eustatic and Anthropogenic Drivers of Ecological Change: a Review

“…10). Others consider that archaeological evidence does not support the distinction between Lithic and Archaic ages and merge them into a single age called Archaic or Preceramic [123,124]. In Mesoamerica -southern Mexico and northern Central America, where the Maya civilization developed and attained preeminence -the period between about 4000 and 1700 cal BP is known as the Preclassic or Formative period, whereas the Classic and Postclassic periods have been defined for the intervals 1700-1050 cal yr BP and 1050-430 cal yr BP, respectively.…”

Hafted stone tools in the Asia Pacific region

“…The Polynesian Outliers group was settled around 1000ya, at around the same time as Eastern Polynesia (Leppard et al 2022). There are close links between populations in the Polynesian Outliers and those in Eastern Polynesia, underlined by recent genetic work (Hudjashov et al 2018), and this final phase of expansion seems to have been characterized by continuing close links between the newly colonized regions via long-distance voyaging.…”