ABSTRACT
The islands of central, eastern, and marginal Polynesia range from tropical to temperate and have different flora and fauna available to their inhabitants. In contrast to the tribal societies in Melanesia, the peoples of central, eastern, and marginal Polynesia were organized into various classes and castes. The archaeological evidence is varied, yet points primarily to western Polynesia—that is, Tonga and Samoa as the probable early homelands of immigrants to the Marquesas Islands. One of the most exciting art traditions to be found in Polynesia is that of the Maori people of New Zealand. The early sculptural art forms, from about a.d. 1200–1500, which have survived from the colonization phase of Maori culture, have stylistic traits that point to eastern and central Polynesia, especially the Marquesas and the Hawaiian Islands and the Austral Islands, respectively. Central Polynesian-derived art forms were more complex and delicate, and included works in stone, bone, and shell.
