The History of Taiwan, Early aborigines 15,000 – 5,000 BC Gerrit van der Wees George Mason University History of Taiwan – HIST 387 August 2016

Outline of Taiwan’s special history 15,000 – 5,000 BC Early aborigines 1500 and 1600s European explorers 1624-1662 Dutch in Zeelandia 1662-1683 Koxinga, Kingdom of Tungning 1683-1887 Ruled from Fukien by Ch’ing Dynasty 1887-1895 province of China 1895-1945 colony of Japan

Taiwan’s history 15,000 – 5,000 BC, Early aborigines Taiwan’s aborigines are of Malay-Polynesian descent Earliest settlements around 15,000 BC, mainly Paleolithic, surviving on marine life / fishing Around 6,000 BC a transition to Neo-lithic: farming and domesticated animals

Taiwan’s history 3,000 BC, Start of Great Migration Based on linguistic and DNA studies it has been determined that Taiwan was at origin of people in the Pacific

Taiwan’s history 3,000 BC, Start of Great Migration How did they get there? By outrigger canoe. Particularly Orchid Island (“Lanyu”) has a rich boating tradition

Taiwan’s history 3,000 BC, Start of Great Migration Another image of the Great Migration: “Island-hopping” across the Pacific

Taiwan’s history 3,000 BC, Start of Great Migration And a third one of the various languages groups across the Pacific:

Taiwan’s history 3,000 BC, Start of Great Migration Some important international scholars who documented this: Robert Blust (1985). "The Austronesian Homeland: Linguistic Perspective". Asian Perspectives 26: 46–67. Peter Bellwood (July 1991). "The Austronesian Dispersal and the Origin of Languages". Scientific American 265 (1): 88–93. T. Melton et al (Dec. 1998). “Genetic evidence for the proto-Austronesian homeland in Asia.” American Journal of Human Genetics v. 63(6) Jared Diamond (Febr. 2000). “Taiwan’s gift to the World”. Nature 403 (6771): 709- 10. http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v403/n6771/full/403709a0.html

Taiwan’s history 3,000 AD, Start of Great Migration Overview of tribes: Almost all Taiwan aboriginal groups do have a connection with a people outside Taiwan: Philippines, Pacific Islands, Borneo, Malaysia

Taiwan’s history Aborigine language groups Siraya: Southwest, around the city of Tainan Bunun: Central Mountain range

Taiwan’s history Aborigine language groups Atayal / Seediq: Northern Mountains Ketangalan / Kavalan: NorthEast Coast

Taiwan’s history Aborigine language groups Rukai: Southern Mountains Paiwan: Southern tip of Taiwan

Taiwan’s history Aborigine language groups Amis: East Coast Yami / Tsao: Orchid Island

The End Further references: History Page: http://www.taiwandc.org/history.com Yami Children Hair and Boat dance: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VRT6dcPmgwE