Medieval Pacific City Abandoned Due to Climate Change 600 Years Ago
Known as the “Venice of the Pacific,” Nan Madol is a remarkable site consisting of over 100 artificial islets built with nearly a million tons of basalt and coral. New findings suggest that environmental pressures forced the city’s abandonment 600 years ago, offering important lessons for the modern world.
New Medieval Books: Empire in the Western Ocean
This book chronicles the rise of the Ming Dynasty and their creation of a formidable naval power that extended far beyond China’s shores, reaching deep into the Indian Ocean.
Polynesian Colonisation Fueled by Sweet Potato: New Archaeological Evidence
Archaeologists have discovered American sweet potato starch granules in early site deposits of Aotearoa/New Zealand’s South Island (Te Waipounamu), revealing how the tuberous root was instrumental to Polynesian colonisation of cooler climate South Pacific islands.
Medieval History in Ōtautahi
Can studying medieval Europe in New Zealand, with a New Zealand context, ever really be relevant?
New Medieval Books: The Cambridge History of the Pacific Ocean
The first part of a two-volume set, this book covers the medieval history of the Pacific Ocean.
New Zealand was first settled in the 13th century, study finds
The Māori came and settled in New Zealand, a land which they called Aotearoa, in the mid-13th century, according to new archaeological research.