Polynesia, 900–1600 - Madi Williams (2021)
This comparative study focuses on New Zealand and its outlying islands, offering a fresh perspective on the history of Polynesia during the ‘Middle Ages’ and encouraging readers to think beyond Europe in relation to the premodern period.
About this book
Written in response to a wider global approach to medieval history, this book offers a fresh perspective on the history of the region during the period 900-1600.
Themes of movement and migration, adaptation and change, and development and expansion offer an optimal means of understanding Polynesia during this period, in an account that incorporates oral traditions, historical analysis, and archaeology.
Drawing together a wide range of research from past and present scholars, the book provides an accessible introduction both for students and for the general reader interested in the long history of these islands.
Publication details
M. Williams. Polynesia, 900–1600: An overview of the history of Aotearoa, Rēkohu, and Rapa Nui (Christchurch: Canterbury University Press, 2021).
Purchase the book here.
This book is part of a series marking the publication of Books of Mana (Otago University Press, 2025). It builds on the project Te Takarangi: Celebrating Māori publications and adds 30 titles to a selected list of 150 non-fiction books, led by Ngā Pae o te Māramatanga in collaboration with Royal Society Te Apārangi.