ABSTRACT
The initial settlement of Central through Eastern Micronesia at A.D. 100–500 converted a large geographic expanse of the world into a new component in the ever-growing inhabited scope of Pacific Oceania. Historically, Micronesia has been especially well known for its strong seafaring traditions and sea-crossing networks, which define much of the social context and imply a deep heritage of overseas, perhaps traceable to the first settlement episodes. In practical terms, sea level by A.D. 100 had lowered to a point of making the many atolls of Micronesia habitable above the ocean, and freshwater lenses became accessible just above the saltwater elevation. The opening of the “atoll highway” at A.D. 100–500 enabled settlement not only of those atolls but also of the scattered high-elevation land masses in Central and Eastern Micronesia and forever changed the geographic composition, social context, and social-ecological history of Pacific Oceania.
