(CNN) – For decades, historians and scientists believed that Antarctica was first discovered by Europeans and Americans. But according to a new study, the first to see the frozen landscape may be New Zealand’s native Maori.
According to research published this week, the Maori voyage to the southern continent may have preceded the 7th century, long before the Europeans arrived there in the early 19th century. Magazine of the Royal Society of New Zealand.
It is said that the first sighting of the mainland of Antarctica was due to a Russian expedition in 1820, and that the first record of a person setting foot in Antarctica was attributed in 1821 to an American explorer.
But according to the study, Polynesian sailors sailed on Antarctic waters about 1,320 years ago, a rich history hidden by European exploration.
“In the Polynesian tales of the voyage between the islands, we discovered that Hui de Rangiora’s voyage in the Antarctic and his crew, de Ivy O’Dea, probably existed in the early 7th century,” said Priscilla Wehi, a leading researcher and conservation biologist. .
This study is based on oral and story traditions and Maori carvings in the Maori community, which researchers refer to travelers, navigation and astronomical knowledge.
The researchers’ existing “gray literature” – research conducted outside of traditional education and business channels – has not been adequately researched.
“When you put it together, it’s very clear, it has a very long connection with Antarctica,” Wei said. “Maori participated in various roles and in many ways based in Antarctica.”
Maori sculptures from New Zealand traditionally represent astronomy and navigation knowledge.
Co-author Billy van Utrecht said the study challenges general perceptions of the past and present surrounding Maori knowledge of Antarctica.
“Many Marians work as researchers in Antarctica participating in New Zealand fishing boats in the southern ocean,” he said. “Many Marians have had living and physical experiences, such as the Antarctic landscapes and coastal areas.”
According to Wehi, looking at the past from a different perspective shows that history is “multi-dimensional.”
“The contribution of many unrepresented groups, from indigenous peoples to women, is well known and it is certainly present in Antarctic history,” she said.
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