▁around ▁ 2 0 0 ▁B CE . ▁It ▁was ▁not ▁until ▁ 7 0 0 ▁CE ▁when ▁they ▁started ▁voy aging ▁further ▁into ▁the ▁Pacific ▁Ocean , ▁when ▁they ▁colon ized ▁the ▁Cook ▁Islands , ▁the ▁Society ▁Islands , ▁and ▁the ▁Mar ques as . ▁From ▁there , ▁they ▁further ▁colon ized ▁Hawai i ▁by ▁ 9 0 0 ▁CE , ▁R apa ▁N ui ▁by ▁ 1 0 0 0 ▁CE , ▁and ▁New ▁Zealand ▁by ▁ 1 2 0 0 ▁CE . ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁Indian ▁Ocean , ▁Aust ron es ians ▁from ▁Bor neo ▁also ▁colon ized ▁Mad agas car ▁and ▁the ▁Com or os ▁Islands ▁by ▁around ▁ 5 0 0 ▁CE . ▁Aust ron es ians ▁remain ▁the ▁dominant ▁eth n ol ingu istic ▁group ▁of ▁the ▁islands ▁of ▁the ▁Ind o - P ac ific , ▁and ▁were ▁the ▁first ▁to ▁establish ▁a ▁mar itime ▁trade ▁network ▁reaching ▁as ▁far ▁west ▁as ▁East ▁Africa ▁and ▁the ▁Arab ian ▁pen ins ula . ▁They ▁assim il ated ▁earlier ▁Ple ist oc ene ▁to ▁early ▁Hol oc ene ▁human ▁over land ▁migr ations ▁through ▁Sund aland ▁like ▁the ▁Pap u ans ▁and ▁the ▁Neg rit os ▁in ▁Island ▁S out heast ▁Asia . ▁The ▁Aust ron esian ▁expansion ▁was ▁the ▁last ▁and ▁the ▁most ▁far - re aching ▁Ne ol ith ic ▁human ▁migration ▁event . ▁ ▁Car ib bean ▁The ▁Car ib bean ▁was ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁last ▁places ▁in ▁the ▁Amer icas ▁that ▁were ▁settled ▁by