Conquering the Americas and the Pacific : the last frontiers

This lecture looks at the unique history of the settlement of the Americas. It represents the culmination of the last expansion of modern humans from Africa. It also involves the encounter between native Americans and, from the ^15th century onwards, peoples from Europe and Africa. In addition, we'll see that settlement of the Pacific, and more specifically of the last uninhabited lands in remote Oceania, took place in several stages involving extensive sea crossings, without maps or compasses..