1. 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

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

3. 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

4. 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

5. 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

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

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

8. 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):

9. 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

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

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

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

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

14. The End Further references:
History Page:
Yami Children Hair and Boat dance: