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But didn't the Polynesians come from Peru?
No. Absolutely not: after 50 years of detailed scientific excavations, not a single artifact from the Americas has ever been found in Polynesia. Polynesia was settled from the west, from Melanesia, by the carriers of the Lapita culture. The Heyerdahl theory is totally unscientific, based on a few superficial resemblances. His books are directed at a solely popular market. His publications make no mention of any scientific work conducted over the last 50 years, or for that matter of any contradictory scientific work.
Did the Marquesans really practice cannibalism?
Yes, most certainly: there is ample legendary evidence of cannibalism, but archaeological sites have yielded many fragments of cooked human bones and earth ovens containing human remains. The practice of cannibalism seems to have been totally ritual in nature, however, and was not a food source.
To what language family is Marquesan related?
Marquesan is a member of the Austronesian language family, a family that includes all the Polynesian languages, the languages of Melanesia, Micronesia, Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Philippines, the languages of the aboriginal tribes of Formosa, some coastal groups in Viet Nam (e.g. the Cham) and Malagache, the language of Madagascar. The closest relatives to Marquesan among the Polynesian languages are the languages of Hawai'i, Easter Island, Mangareva, and Napuka in the Tuamotus.
What about the Marquesan petroglyphs showing four legged animals? These petroglyphs represent dogs, which were protective spirits of the Na'iki, a widely disseminated tribe in the Marquesas.
I've seen juice from the Noni fruit (Morinda citrifolia) being sold in health food stores. Did the ancient Polynesians really use this fruit for its medicinal value?
The Polynesians used the Noni fruit only as a last resort food source in times of famine and as a topical remedy for skin irritation. Historically, it never had any value to the Polynesians as a health drink.
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