First Islanders: Prehistory and Human Migration in Island Southeast Asia

In First Islanders, renowned scholar Peter Bellwood incorporates key research findings from the past 20 years to examine the human prehistory of Island Southeast Asia (Taiwan, Philippines, Indonesia, East Malaysia). This fascinating story is explored from a broad swathe of multidisciplinary perspectives, with special reference to the human migrations that have occurred within the archipelago since the arrival of Homo erectus in Java more than one million years ago.  The text pays particular attention to several major episodes of migration, including those of ancient hominins (Homo erectus and H. floresiensis), the subsequent arrival of Homo sapiens over 50,000 years ago, and the eventual spread of Austronesian–speaking agricultural populations from southern China through Taiwan between 5000 and 3000 years ago.

Drawing on research from archaeology, genetics, biological anthropology and linguistics, Bellwood s study and exploration of Island Southeast Asia provides illuminating insights into how humans in the deep past dealt with both terrestrial and maritime migration throughout the period dating from 1.5 million years ago to the development of the Indic kingdoms late in the first millennium CE. 

Alongside Bellwood s experienced and respected voice, 12 concise and enlightening contributions by leading scholars are introduced throughout to complement and further enrich this important work for scholars, students and the interested reader.

First Islanders builds on Bellwood s previous publication Prehistory of the Indo–Malaysian Archipelago (1985 and 1997).  

Peter Bellwood is an Emeritus Professor at the Australian National University, which he joined in 1973, retiring in 2013. He has undertaken archaeological research in Polynesia and Island Southeast Asia, and is currently involved in projects in Vietnam, Indonesia and the Philippines. His most recent books include The Global Prehistory of Human Migration (edited, Wiley Blackwell 2014),First Migrants (Wiley Blackwell, 2013), Prehistory of the Indo–Malaysian Archipelago (3rd edition, 2007), First Farmers (Wiley Blackwell, 2005), and Southeast Asia: from Prehistory to History (co–edited, 2005). Peter Bellwood is a Fellow of the Australian Academy of the Humanities and a Corresponding Fellow of the British Academy.