So, who were they trading with? It's perfectly compatible with Heyerdahl's theory -- that humans spread across the Pacific from South America -- that they then traded back with 'the old country' which they knew was there. The chicken would have been just a novel critter they acquired in their travels.
> So, who were they trading with? It’s perfectly compatible with Heyerdahl’s theory — that humans spread across the Pacific from South America...
Except for the inconvenient fact that there is little evidence of anybody in South America being of a seafaring sort. Unless I’ve missed something, the South Americans were land-lubbers.
As were all Amerinds, with the exception of the North-West Coast injuns, who had very much in common with the Maori: right down to the sea-faring dugout war canoes, the lodgepole houses, the aural history and the totem poles. I am unaware of any evidence that, say, the Nootka or the Salish or the Bella Coola ever met the Maori, but they would have been about the only Amerinds capable of doing so.
> — that they then traded back with ‘the old country’ which they knew was there. The chicken would have been just a novel critter they acquired in their travels...
or a tasty side-dish to be served with Roasted Inca and baked kumara.