en icians , the ▁Iran ians , ▁the ▁ancient ▁Gree ks , ▁the ▁Rom ans , ▁the ▁Arab s , ▁the ▁ancient ▁Indians , ▁the ▁Nor se , ▁the ▁Chinese , ▁the ▁Ven et ians , ▁the ▁Gen o ese , ▁the ▁Han se atic ▁Germ ans , ▁the ▁Portuguese , ▁the ▁Spanish , ▁the ▁English , ▁the ▁French , ▁the ▁Dutch ▁and ▁the ▁Dan es . ▁ ▁Anti qu ity ▁ ▁Ind o - P ac ific ▁ ▁Navigation ▁in ▁the ▁Ind o - P ac ific ▁began ▁with ▁the ▁mar itime ▁migr ations ▁of ▁the ▁Aust ron es ians ▁from ▁Taiwan ▁who ▁spread ▁south wards ▁into ▁Island ▁S out heast ▁Asia ▁and ▁Island ▁Mel anes ia ▁during ▁a ▁period ▁between ▁ 3 0 0 0 ▁to ▁ 1 0 0 0 ▁BC . ▁Their ▁first ▁long - distance ▁voy aging ▁was ▁the ▁colon ization ▁of ▁Mic ron esia ▁from ▁the ▁Philippines ▁at ▁around ▁ 1 5 0 0 ▁BC . ▁By ▁about ▁ 9 0 0 ▁BC ▁their ▁descend ants ▁had ▁spread ▁more ▁than ▁ 6 , 0 0 0 ▁kilom eters ▁across ▁the ▁Pacific , ▁reaching ▁T ong a ▁and ▁Sam oa . ▁In ▁this ▁region , ▁a ▁distinct ive ▁Pol yn esian ▁culture ▁developed . ▁Within ▁the ▁next ▁few ▁centuries ▁Pol yn es ians ▁reached ▁Hawai i , ▁New ▁Zealand , ▁E aster ▁Island ▁and ▁possibly ▁South ▁America . ▁Pol yn esian ▁navig ators ▁used ▁a ▁range ▁of ▁tools ▁and ▁methods , ▁including ▁observation ▁of ▁birds , ▁star ▁navigation