Mystery behind Moana: After 1,700 years, why did Polynesians suddenly sail east?

# Summary Polynesian ancestors, the Lapita people, settled islands in Samoa and Tonga around 3,000 years ago but then remained relatively stationary for 1,700 years before suddenly embarking on a massive eastward migration between 900-1100 AD, reaching Hawai'i, New Zealand, and Easter Island. New climate evidence suggests that prolonged droughts during periods of high population density may have depleted freshwater and food resources on islands like Samoa and Tonga, triggering the sudden wave of voyaging that spread Polynesian culture across the Pacific.