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Science Forum Index » Anthropology - Paleo Forum » New Zealand Settled No Earlier Than The 13th Century...
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| Rich Travsky... |
 Posted: Wed Jun 04, 2008 3:19 pm |
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Guest
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http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn14046-rat-stowaways-date-human-arrival-in-new-zealand.html
Humans arrived in New Zealand in the 13th century and no earlier. That's the
conclusion of a study that re-examines the remains of Pacific rats (Rattus
exulans) collected on both main islands, as well as the seeds they ate.
Genetic studies suggest that early human settlers in New Zealand as well as the
Pacific rat migrated from East Polynesia.
As rats could easily stow away on boats, and were also a source of food for
Polynesians prior to European settlement, the date of the earliest rat remains
is presumed to be the date humans first arrived in New Zealand.
The finding could help settle a decades-long argument about when New Zealand
was first settled by humans.
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But the Wilmshurst team used an improved technique for removing contamination
from the bones before radiocarbon dating. This led to a far later date for the
earliest rat populations – around 1280 AD.
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