Austronesian peoples facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

Austronesian peoples are a large group of people who live in many parts of the world. You can find them in Southeast Asia, Oceania, and even Madagascar. These people share a common history and culture. They also speak languages from the Austronesian language family. Scientists believe their ancestors originally came from Taiwan.

Area historically regarded as being inhabited by the original Austronesian peoples and later migrations.

Who Are the Austronesian Peoples?
- Where Do They Live?
The Great Austronesian Migration
- Sailing Across the Seas
- Settling Distant Islands
Austronesian Languages
- Language Groups
Culture and Innovations
Images for kids
See also

Who Are the Austronesian Peoples?

The term "Austronesian" refers to a huge family of languages. It also describes the people who speak them. This group includes many different ethnic groups. They are spread across a vast area. This area stretches from Easter Island in the east to Madagascar in the west.

Where Do They Live?

Austronesian peoples live in many island nations. These include countries like Indonesia, Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei, and East Timor. They also live in Polynesia, Melanesia, and Micronesia. These regions are part of Oceania. In Southeast Asia, they are found in places like Singapore and parts of Vietnam and Thailand. The Malagasy people of Madagascar are also Austronesian.

The Great Austronesian Migration

One of the most amazing things about Austronesian peoples is their history of migration. About 5,000 years ago, their ancestors began to leave Taiwan. They used advanced canoes and sailing skills. These brave explorers sailed across vast oceans.

Sailing Across the Seas

They were incredible navigators. They used the stars, winds, and ocean currents to find their way. They settled new islands step by step. This journey took thousands of years. They reached the Philippines first, then Indonesia and Malaysia. Later, they sailed into the wide Pacific Ocean.

Settling Distant Islands

Their voyages led them to remote islands. They reached Hawaii, New Zealand, and Easter Island. This was a huge achievement in human history. They carried plants and animals with them. These included coconuts, taro, and chickens. This helped them start new lives on distant islands.

Austronesian Languages

The Austronesian language family is one of the largest in the world. It has over 1,200 different languages. This shows how widespread these people became. Even though they are far apart, many of these languages share similar words. This is proof of their shared origin.

Language Groups

The languages are divided into several main branches. The Formosan languages are spoken by the indigenous peoples of Taiwan. These are the oldest branches. All other Austronesian languages are called Malayo-Polynesian languages. They spread from Taiwan to the rest of the world.

Culture and Innovations

Austronesian peoples developed unique cultures. Their island homes shaped their way of life. They were skilled farmers, fishers, and builders.

Maritime Culture

Sailing and the sea were central to their lives. They invented the outrigger canoe and the catamaran. These boats allowed them to travel long distances. They also developed special navigation techniques. Their knowledge of the ocean was unmatched for centuries.

Traditional Houses

Many Austronesian groups built special houses. These often had raised floors. This protected them from floods and animals. Examples include the Bahay kubo in the Philippines. The Tongkonan houses of the Toraja people in Indonesia are also famous. They have distinctive saddle-shaped roofs.

Art and Crafts

Austronesian art is rich and varied. It includes intricate carvings, weaving, and tattooing. They often used natural materials. Wood, stone, and plant fibers were common. Their art often tells stories of their ancestors and myths.

Images for kids

Skulls representing Johann Friedrich Blumenbach's "five races" in De Generis Humani Varietate Nativa (1795). The Tahitian skull labelled "O-taheitae" represented what he called the "Malay race"
The New Physiognomy map (1889) printed by the Fowler & Wells Company depicting Johann Friedrich Blumenbach's five human races. The region inhabited by the "Malay race" is shown enclosed in dotted lines. Like in most 19th century sources, Islander Melanesians are excluded. Taiwan, which was annexed by the Qing Dynasty in the 17th century is also excluded.
Distribution of the Austronesian languages (Blust, 1999)
Paraw sailboats from Boracay, Philippines. Outrigger canoes and crab claw sails are hallmarks of the Austronesian maritime culture.
Coconuts in Rangiroa island in the Tuamotus, French Polynesia, a typical island landscape in Austronesia. Coconuts are native to tropical Asia, and were spread as canoe plants to the Pacific Islands and Madagascar by Austronesians.
Extent of contemporary Austronesia and possible further migrations and contact (Blench, 2009)
Map showing the distribution of the Austronesian language family (light rose pink). It roughly corresponds to the distribution of all the Austronesian peoples.
Samoan man carrying two containers over his shoulder
The Javanese people of Indonesia are the largest Austronesian ethnic group.
Representation of the coastal migration model, with the indication of the later development of mitochondrial haplogroups
Coastlines of Island Southeast Asia, New Guinea, and Australia during the last glacial period
Aeta fishermen in an outrigger canoe in Luzon, Philippines (c. 1899)
Possible language family homelands and the spread of rice into Southeast Asia (ca. 5,500–2,500 BP). The approximate coastlines during the early Holocene are shown in lighter blue.
Yue statue of a tattooed Baiyue man in the Zhejiang Provincial Museum (c. 3rd century BCE)
Suggested early migration route of early Austronesians into and out of Taiwan based on ancient and modern mtDNA data. This hypothesis assumes the Sino-Austronesian grouping, a minority view among linguists. (Ko et al., 2014)
Proposed routes of Austroasiatic and Austronesian migrations into Indonesia (Simanjuntak, 2017)
Proposed genesis of Daic languages and their relation with Austronesians (Blench, 2018)
Early waves of migration to Taiwan proposed by Roger Blench (2014)
Colorized photograph of a Tsou warrior from Taiwan wearing traditional clothing (pre-World War II)
[[Hōkūleʻa]], a modern replica of a Polynesian double-hulled voyaging canoe, is an example of a catamaran, another of the early sailing innovations of Austronesians
Queen [[Liliʻuokalani]], the last sovereign monarch of the Kingdom of Hawaii
Austronesian proto-historic and historic maritime trade network in the Indian Ocean
Aboriginal Taiwanese Architecture
Sama-Bajau villages are typically built directly on shallow water
The raised bale houses of the Ifugao people with capped house posts are believed to be derived from the designs of traditional granaries
Tongkonan houses of the Toraja people with the distinctive saddleback roofs reminiscent of boats
Bai meeting house of the Palauan people with colourfully decorated gables
Māori pataka storehouses
Cast of a Lapita red-slipped earthenware shard from the Santa Cruz Islands (c. 1000 BCE), showing dentate-stamped, circle-stamped, and cross-in-circle decorations. The latter two are shared elements from Neolithic red-slipped pottery from the Nagsabaran Site in the Philippines.
Māori hei matau jade pendant
Hand stencils in the "Tree of Life" cave painting in Gua Tewet, Kalimantan, Indonesia
Watu Molindo ("the entertainer stone"), one of the megaliths in Bada Valley, Central Sulawesi, Indonesia, usually found near megalithic stone vats known as kalamba.
Toraja megaliths memorializing the deceased in Sulawesi, Indonesia
Boats and human figures in a cave painting in the Niah National Park of Sarawak, Malaysia; an example of the Austronesian Painting Traditions (APT)
Petroglyphs in Vanuatu with the concentric circles and swirling designs characteristic of the Austronesian Engraving Style (AES)
Haligi pillars from the Latte period of Guam, these served as supports for raised buildings
The ruins of Nan Madol, a stone city built on artificial islets in Pohnpei
A rai stone, large stone discs used as currency in Yap
A marae sacred site in Raiatea, French Polynesia
Hawaiian petroglyph depicting a poi dog (ʻīlio)
Carving of Rongo, the Māori deity (atua) of kūmara, from Taranaki, North Island, New Zealand
A 1782 illustration of a heiau temple in Hawaii
Teeth filing on a Mentawai man in the Mentawai Islands, Dutch East Indies, c. 1938
Tablet B of rongorongo, an undeciphered system of glyphs from Rapa Nui
An example of the abundant petroglyphs in Orongo, Rapa Nui associated with the tangata manu cult of Makemake. Rongorongo does not appear in any of these petroglyphs.
Wharenui meeting house of the Māori people
Besakana of the Merina people
Bahay kubo of the Filipinos. Also known as Payag in Visayan.
Bure of the Fijian people
Uma mbatangu of the Sumba people
Jabu of the Toba Batak people
Rumoh of the Acehnese people
Rumah gadang of the Minangkabau people
Torogan of the Maranao people
Karinding jaw harps of the Sundanese people, Indonesia
Sapeh, traditional lutes of the Orang Ulu people of Malaysia
An Indonesian gamelan ensemble
A kanaka maoli (native) from Hawaii performing the hula
Kapa haka of the Māori people
Traditional song and dance at a funeral in Tana Toraja, Sulawesi, Indonesia
Ramayana Ballet, traditional theatre dance from Java, Indonesia
Gending Sriwijaya, traditional dance from Palembang, Indonesia
A Minahasan Kabasaran war dancer from Tomohon, North Sulawesi, Indonesia
Kecak dancers from Bali, Indonesia
Hudoq, traditional dance from Kalimantan, Indonesia
Aloalo funerary pole of the Sakalava people of Madagascar
Adu zatua ancestor carvings of the Nias people of western Indonesia
Stone tiki from Hiva Oa, Marquesas
Ki'i carving at Puʻuhonua o Hōnaunau, Hawaii
Māori poupou from the Ruato tomb of Rotorua
Moai in Ahu Tongariki, Rapa Nui
Toraja tau tau (wooden statue of the deceased) in South Sulawesi, Indonesia
Balinese small familial house shrines to honor the households' ancestors in Bali, Indonesia