Mapping possible voyages: Solomon and Coral Seas

International audienceThis paper will present the rationale of simulations of canoe voyage in the Solomon Sea and Coral Seas with the aim to investigate whether regular contact between Island “Melanesia” and Queensland is (was) technically feasible. It will present the data and the principles used for such simulations and illustrate particular routes of navigation that are highly plausible/feasible. The paper will show the dense potential network of exploratory and regular voyages between the Solomon Islands, the Bismarck Archipelago, the Massim region and Queensland, and it will argue that there is no reason to believe such voyages and networks have not actually occurred