It's just about proven that Polynesians were in South America due to the fact that their DNA is present in some tribes. Now on the idea of Polynesian Galapagos, I think it's feasible,especially if they get access to Andean crops.guinea pigs and llamas. And many Mesoamerican tribes domesticated iguanas, so there's another protein source. And they would make good traders up and down the coastlines, introducing llamas and guinea pigs to North American tribes as well as their pigs,chickens and bananas. Hell, the Andean agricultural package would help out in New Zealand! Ideally,I'd like to see them form strong relations with the Mayans,Mississippians, Andeans and definitely those of the Pacific Northwest. Polynesians in Galapagos also helps out the Rapa Nui. And if Vinland survived and formed another strong trade alliance, then they get goats and sheep centuries before Columbus, maybe even some steel weapons. Now,I'm contemplating a timeline where the Polynesians of Galapagos and Rapa Nui have a strong rivalry and trade agreement with Vinlander Norse.
Polynesian Galapagos Discussion
- Thread starter twovultures
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It's thousands of kilometers to even California, let alone the Pacific Northwest. The currents change around the Equator and shift in the northern hemisphere tropics. I dunno what Mesoamericans and Californians (and probably Puebloans and such by trade) might do with guinea pigs and such, but it would certainly help. Llamas would travel poorly, as would pigs. Vinland's a long ways away across mostly land. If the Vinlanders and Galapagans ever met, they'd probably divide things into an Atlantic and Pacific sphere. Not that the American Indians would ever have to respect them.
We are talking about the Polynesians. The people who had one of the greatest navigational packages in history and who in OTL navigated the majority of the Pacific, so with a larger population and strong alliances with some South American people like Mapuche,Chumash or other I have no doubt they could make it to California. And there is some evidence that Polynesians did make it to California at least once. And guinea pigs would probably travel as easy as the Polynesian rat did. Plus Polynesian canoes were massive and transported pigs and chickens in OTL as well.
What is this evidence the Polynesians reached California? Aside from the spurious claim of the Chumash word for canoe being highly similar to the Polynesian word for canoe?
The genetics that shows deep contact is reshuffled Amerind DNA, the "Polynesian" DNA of South Americans and Bering Strait islanders is MUCH older before Lapita and is related likely to SEA migrations to Japan and then spread
The Polynesian influence in Tomols amongst the Chumash is highly contested. New linguistic and archeological data is showing an entire indigenous construction and development.
ATL I see and agree with the possibilities for sure but I don't see direct Mississippian contact likely involving Polynesians beyond sailing techniques diffusion.