Region
History of Oceania
Defining moments across the history of Oceania.
PrehistoryFirst Human Settlement of Australiac. 65,000 BCE · Central AustraliaFirst humans arrive in Sahul via sea crossings, marking the earliest migration out of Africa into Oceania.
TechnologyAboriginal Fire-Stick Farming Practicesc. 5000 BCE onwards · Central AustraliaAboriginal Australians develop controlled burning techniques to manage landscapes and enhance biodiversity.
ScienceCodification of Aboriginal Songlines Across Australiac. 5000 BCE onwards · Central AustraliaAboriginal peoples develop Songlines that map the continent through oral narratives and star paths.
ArtPeak Period of Australian Aboriginal Rock Artc. 3000 BCE to 1500 CE · Kakadu National Park, AustraliaAboriginal artists create vast galleries of rock paintings depicting ancestral beings and hunting scenes.
WarEscalation of Inter-Tribal Warfare in New Zealandc. 1600 CE · North Island, New ZealandIntensified warfare leads to the construction of massive pā and the development of new weapons like the taiaha.
TechnologyConstruction of Complex Pā Fortifications in New Zealandc. 1500 CE · Auckland Region, New ZealandMāori develop sophisticated multi-tiered defensive fortifications in response to inter-tribal warfare.
PoliticsBreaking of the Tapu by High Chiefsc. 1400 CE · North Island, New ZealandHigh chiefs challenge and modify traditional tapu rules to consolidate power and redistribute resources.
ArtDevelopment of Māori Tā Moko Tattooing Traditionc. 1400 CE · North Island, New ZealandMāori refine the art of tā moko, using chisels to carve permanent facial and body tattoos.
TechnologyAdaptation of Kumara Cultivation in New Zealandc. 1400 CE · North Island, New ZealandMāori develop specialized techniques to grow sweet potatoes in the cooler climate of New Zealand.
DisasterHunting and Extinction of the Moa in New Zealandc. 1300 to 1450 CE · South Island, New ZealandIntensive hunting by Māori leads to the rapid extinction of the giant flightless moa birds.
ExplorationMāori Settlement of Aotearoa (New Zealand)c. 1280 CE · North Island, New ZealandPolynesian voyagers from East Polynesia arrive in Aotearoa, marking the last major human migration.
ScienceAbsence of Pottery in Māori Culturec. 1280 CE onwards · New ZealandMāori settlers abandon pottery making upon arrival in New Zealand due to lack of suitable clay and fuel.
ExplorationPolynesian Settlement of New Zealand (Aotearoa)c. 1280 CE · Canterbury, New Zealand (South Island)Polynesian navigators arrive in New Zealand, founding the Māori culture and adapting to a temperate environment.
ExplorationPolynesian Voyaging to New Zealandc. 1280 CE · South Island, New ZealandPolynesian navigators arrive in Aotearoa using double-hulled canoes and celestial navigation.