Polynesian peoples were sailing far and wide across the southwestern Pacific Ocean long ago, demonstrating a seafaring skill that is both impressive and awe-inspiring. Given how far they advanced in their Pacific explorations, it is natural to wonder whether or not they ever reached Antarctica. Some researchers have claimed they did, and that they were actually the original discoverers of that continent. But in a study recently published in the journal Archaeology in Oceania, a team of scholars present the evidence that caused them to conclude that the ancient Polynesians never made it quite that far south, despite the astonishing success of their long-distance explorations. Maori Artifacts Indicate Early Polynesian Settlement on New Zealand Island Study Traces Epic Polynesian Migration to the Pacific Islands Read moreSection: NewsHistory & ArchaeologyAncient PlacesAustralia & OceaniaRead Later