Human dispersals into Micronesia

Abstract

Micronesia received several human dispersals in the prehistoric period. Four major movements of human dispersals into Micronesia are proposed based on the archaeological evidence. The earliest movement around 3600 B.P. to the Mariana Islands was followed by three dispersals to other island groups from west and south at different times. This provides a complicated model compared to what has been proposed by linguistic studies. The heterogeneity of Micronesia is cautiously stressed.