In the beginning, probably yeah. The Polynesians eventually became expert navigators, but they had to start somewhere. The Pacific Ocean is frickin massive, I can’t imagine being stranded out there with no way home.
Oh definitely horrifying, but I’m thinking about someone thousands of years ago who is stranded out at sea like this… and then they look up and they see that star overhead that they remember always points the same direction at this time of year, or they see some birds and decide to follow them. And an amazing age of exploration begins.
Ah, I see what you mean. Yeah, sometimes one little key observation can kickstart a new era. All without the aid of navigational instruments, too, which is wild to me.
I have to wonder if surviving these sorts of horrific experiences were the beginnings of Polynesians learning to dominate the Pacific.
In the beginning, probably yeah. The Polynesians eventually became expert navigators, but they had to start somewhere. The Pacific Ocean is frickin massive, I can’t imagine being stranded out there with no way home.
Oh definitely horrifying, but I’m thinking about someone thousands of years ago who is stranded out at sea like this… and then they look up and they see that star overhead that they remember always points the same direction at this time of year, or they see some birds and decide to follow them. And an amazing age of exploration begins.
Ah, I see what you mean. Yeah, sometimes one little key observation can kickstart a new era. All without the aid of navigational instruments, too, which is wild to me.