Arrr! Unearthin' o' grand olden society 'pon China's shore: Aye, 't be a mighty seafarin' venture!
2023-12-28
Arr, them wise folk reckon that the unearthing of a 7,500-year-old tribe, nestled 'long the eastern shores o' China, might just be the startin' point o' one o' the grandest seafarin' voyages in all o' human tale!
Chinese archaeologists have made a stunning discovery on Pingtan Island off the coast of Fujian province in southeastern China. They have uncovered a 7,500-year-old civilization that could be the original source of the greatest maritime migration in human history. The discovery suggests that Austronesian people, also known as Malayo-Polynesians, lived on the island thousands of years ago. Through genetic testing on human remains, archaeologists were able to confirm a match for the Austronesian people.Austronesians were a large ethnic group that inhabited a vast geographical area, stretching from Taiwan to Easter Island in Chile. They covered most of Southeast Asia, Micronesia, Polynesia, New Zealand, and Hawaii. It is estimated that around 400 million people today are descendants of the early Austronesian tribes.
Until now, it was widely believed that Austronesians originated in present-day Taiwan and started migrating over the last 5,000 years due to population growth. However, these new discoveries suggest that the origins of Austronesians could be geographically larger than previously thought and may even include mainland China.
The archaeologists also found evidence of a complex society on Pingtan Island between 5,000 and 6,500 years ago. They discovered residential homes, as well as buildings for waste removal and food processing. This indicates that the island's inhabitants had developed into a sophisticated civilization.
Zhou Zhenyu, a researcher with the Institute of Archaeology at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, stated that this discovery establishes a complete lineage of cultures along the western shore of the Taiwan Strait during that time span.
This finding is significant as it challenges previous assumptions about the origins and migration patterns of Austronesians. It provides valuable insights into the history and development of ancient civilizations in this region.