▁B CE . ▁From ▁the ▁Philippines ▁and ▁Eastern ▁Indones ia ▁they ▁colon ized ▁Mic ron esia ▁by ▁ 2 2 0 0 ▁to ▁ 1 0 0 0 ▁B CE . ▁ ▁A ▁branch ▁of ▁the ▁Aust ron es ians ▁reached ▁Island ▁Mel anes ia ▁between ▁ 1 6 0 0 ▁and ▁ 1 0 0 0 ▁B CE , ▁establish ing ▁the ▁Lap ita ▁culture ▁( named ▁after ▁the ▁arch ae ological ▁site ▁in ▁Lap ita , ▁New ▁C aled onia , ▁where ▁their ▁characteristic ▁pot tery ▁was ▁first ▁discovered ). ▁They ▁are ▁the ▁direct ▁ancest ors ▁of ▁the ▁modern ▁Pol yn es ians . ▁They ▁vent ured ▁into ▁Rem ote ▁O ce ania ▁reaching ▁Van u atu , ▁New ▁C aled onia , ▁and ▁F iji ▁by ▁ 1 2 0 0 ▁B CE , ▁and ▁Sam oa ▁and ▁T ong a ▁by ▁around ▁ 9 0 0 ▁to ▁ 8 0 0 ▁B CE . ▁This ▁was ▁the ▁fur th est ▁extent ▁of ▁the ▁Lap ita ▁culture ▁expansion . ▁During ▁a ▁period ▁of ▁around ▁ 1 , 5 0 0 ▁years , ▁they ▁gradually ▁lost ▁the ▁technology ▁for ▁pot tery ▁( likely ▁due ▁to ▁the ▁lack ▁of ▁cl ay ▁depos its ▁in ▁the ▁islands ), ▁replacing ▁it ▁with ▁car ved ▁wooden ▁and ▁b am bo o ▁containers . ▁Back - migr ations ▁from ▁the ▁Lap ita ▁culture ▁also ▁merged ▁back ▁Island ▁S out heast ▁Asia ▁in ▁ 1 5 0 0 ▁B CE , ▁and ▁into ▁Mic ron esia ▁at