Pioneers of the Pacific

History tells us that Captain James Cook conquered the Pacific back in the late 18th century. Of course, the peoples he discovered were not really people, so they just didn't count. What was completely lost on Cook was that he was over 3,000 years too late. The Lapita, a people originating from somewhere in the Pacific, conquered the Pacific Ocean in their day, spreading their language, culture and customs to most of the Pacific islands, including Tonga, Fiji, Samoa, New Zealand, Easter Island, and Tahiti -- where their influences can still be seen today. Unfortunately, no one knows who they were, how they sailed the Pacific, and why they ventured so far. Read more at the National Geographic site.