Chronologie de la pirogue à balancier : le témoignage de l'océan Indien occidental

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to bring objections to the recent thesis held by E. Doran, according to which the single outrigger antedated the double outrigger. The historical change from the double outrigger to the single one, already testified by A. and G. Grandidier and by J. Hornell on the West coast of Madagascar, is ascertained by new documents, not only in this island but also in the Comoro Islands. As regards the Pacific, the same process probably took place at the time of the first Polynesian migrations, as suggested by Hornell.