Chinese archaeologists have made a groundbreaking discovery on Pingtan Island, located off the southeastern coast of China’s Fujian Province. This significant find reveals the presence of an ancient civilization dating back 7,300 years, providing new insights into the origins and migration patterns of the Austronesian people, a group that historically spread across a vast area from Taiwan to as far as Easter Island in Chile.
The Austronesian ethnic group, known for its wide geographical spread, has origins that trace back to Taiwan, with their descendants reaching Southeast Asia, Micronesia, Polynesia, New Zealand, Easter Island, and Hawaii. Today, an estimated 400 million people are believed to be descendants of these early Austronesian tribes. The archaeological project on Pingtan Island, which began in 2021, has unveiled that the island was inhabited by Austronesians as far back as 7,500 years ago.
This revelation from state media outlet China Daily indicates that Pingtan Island could have been one of the originating sources of the Austronesian people, challenging the previously held belief that their sole origin was Taiwan. The evidence found by the archaeologists includes residential structures, buildings dedicated to handicrafts, waste removal, and food processing, indicating a complex society that existed between 5,000 and 6,500 years ago. Remarkably, this includes the earliest known evidence of rice cultivation on islands off the Chinese coast.
Further discoveries on Pingtan Island from a period dating 3,000 to 4,200 years ago reveal public spaces designed for community gatherings and ceremonies. Genetic testing confirmed the Austronesian lineage of bones found at these sites. Zhou Zhenyu, a researcher from the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, emphasized the significance of these findings in establishing a comprehensive cultural lineage along the western shore of the Taiwan Strait during this era.
The historical narrative of the Austronesian migration, which began approximately 6,000 years ago and lasted until about 1,000 years ago, suggests that the Austronesians originated in Taiwan before migrating to the Philippines around 2200 BC. The introduction of sails around 200 years later facilitated faster and more extensive migration.
The discoveries on Pingtan Island, along with similar findings in Fujian Province, suggest a broader geographical origin for the Austronesian people, including areas of mainland China. These findings not only contribute to our understanding of ancient civilizations but also challenge existing theories about the spread of one of the world’s largest ethnic groups. The discovery has sparked renewed interest in the study of ancient human migrations and the complex history of the Austronesian people.
READ MORE: