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In this period, much of the Old World experienced a rapid spread of iron and bronzeworking. This spread through Island Southeast Asia into the east.The repercussions from such major changes in technology were profound and were most clearly expressed by the appearance of the first urban settlements in Burma, Vietnam, Thailand and Cambodia(Scarre 2005).

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The lapita colonists reached Tonga and Samoa in western Polynesia by around this time.  Cultures continued to evolved as seen in the pottery during these times, pottery became simpler with increasing thickness until the abandonment of pottery by around AD 300(Scarre 2005). image credit:http://en.rfi.fr/visiting-france/20101114-pots-vanuatu

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There are several theories about the origins of the Lapita, who were excellent seamen and reached out to more isolated islands in the Pacific.  They are believed to be the ancestors of cultures of Polynesia and Micronesia(Mortaigne 2010).

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In the western Pacific, colonists between these times left a clear trail of pioneer Neolithic sites, across about 4,050 miles of ocean and islands. All lands from New Caledonia and Vanuatu to the east were initially colonized by canoe-borne groups(Scarre 2005).

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The first wave of migration came from, through genetic testings and linguistics, Papuans colonized much of Near Oceania.  The second migration happened roughly 1500BC of Austronesian speakers, who spread to the remote corners of Oceania(Duggan et al. 2014)

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There was a wide variation of Austronesian cultures, from the Islamic and Hindu-Buddhist areas of Malaysia and western Indonesia and then chiefdoms of Philippine and Polynesians. Economics in the area were varied from western and northern regions depending upon rice and along the Equator there was a dependence on tubers and fruits(Scarre 2005).

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Easter Island was one of the few islands in the world to become inhabited by humans.  Due to the isolation of this island, it is unlikely that this island was reached more than once from Polynesia.  The inhabitants of Easter Island were likely a single group during one voyage, leading to extreme isolation(Emory 1972).

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The first evidence of human impact was believed to reflect the clearing of forests.  Further farming and cultivation happened a little later in 5,000BC and 2,000BC.  Farming took place mainly in the highlands, but with the absence of cereals and domesticated animals, farming communities were small and dispersed. Evidence shows that they first started cultivating the banana(Scarre 2005)

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Artwork is a fundamental aspect to understanding a culture and archaeologists have been able to find evidence of rock art from thousands of years ago.  These pieces of art show the changes in lifestyle and the way the Aboriginal people saw the world around them(Scarre 2005) image credit:http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-11-02/indigenous-rock-art-could-be-among-oldest-in-world/6906476

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Scarre, Christopher. The Human Past: World Prehistory & the Development of Human Societies. London: Thames & Hudson, 2005.

Emory, Kenneth P. "EASTER ISLAND'S POSITION IN THE PREHISTORY OF POLYNESIA." The Journal of the Polynesian Society 81, no. 1 (1972): 57-69.

Duggan, A. T.; Evans, B.; Friedlaender, F. O. R.; Friedlaender, J. S.; Koki, G.; Merriwether, D. A.; Kayser, M.; Stoneking, M. "Maternal History of Oceania from Complete MtDNA Genomes: Contrasting Ancient Diversity with Recent Homogenization Due to the Austronesian Expansion." The American Journal of Human Genetics. May 1, 2014. http://www.bing.com/cr?IG=E63E261E25C04B109EA667A9B9F0917B&CID=11EE49B29C8C62CE2B4D405B9DBD639A&rd=1&h=WaggiHd4-KBIe1orn8_0Dbi9jNj6p9G6S6uAOoAPHWw&v=1&r=http%3a%2f%2fwww.sciencedirect.com%2fscience%2farticle%2fpii%2fS0002929714001165&p=DevEx,5081.1.

Mortaigne, Véronique. "Lapita: Oceanic Ancestors – Review." The Guardian. December 28, 2010. Accessed December 12, 2016. https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2010/dec/14/lapita-oceanic-ancestors-paris-review.

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Changing environments were responsible for a number of changes in the settlement, hunting, gathering and social patterns in Tasmania. Most notably was a complete halt to fishing around 1800BC. There was a heavier exploitation of inland resources in comparison to before this time period(Scarre 2005).