The lapita people made lapita pottery and tools such as stone adzes
The Lapita People of South East Asia.
More evidence is surfacing to suggest that the lapita people were a different race than the Polynesians, infact there is little to suggest they were the polynesians ancestors. So they couldn't have created an empire, the lapita were around at a different time than the Polynesians.
Yes, the ancestors of the Polynesians and the Maori are believed to be the Lapita people. The Lapita were an ancient culture that originated in the Pacific and are known for their distinctive pottery style that spread across the region, influencing the cultural development of various Pacific island groups.
The Lapita people of South East Asia.
The Lapita people are named after the archaeological site in New Caledonia where their distinctive pottery was first discovered in the 1950s. This pottery provided important evidence for understanding the migration and cultural expansion of the Lapita people across the Pacific Islands.
the Lapita potters
Ceramics.
Lapita and the Polynesians
According to Wikipedia, Fiji was inhabitate by the Lapita People(Asians) some 130million years ago.
Their is still much debate, but it's generally accepted that the Lapita people are the ancestors of Polynesian people to explain how the Polynesians got to be in the middle of the Pacific ocean. Others argue that the Lapita are Melanesian, just one of many old diverse groups that sprung from human occupation in South East Asia and Australia for the last 50,000 years. However, it's too coincidental that the end of the Lapita pottery also marks the beginning of the Polynesian cultural complex. Research shows that Polynesians and Melanesians have very distinct DNA and morphological traits with some very old and ancient mix, but very little admixture.
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