Prehistory of Taiwan

The prehistory of Taiwan, ending with the arrival of the Dutch East India Company in 1624, is known from archaeological finds throughout the island. The earliest evidence of human habitation dates back 20,000 to 30,000 years, when the Taiwan Strait was exposed by lower sea levels as a land bridge. Around 5,000 years ago farmers from mainland China settled on the island. These people are believed to have been speakers of Austronesian languages, which dispersed from Taiwan across the islands of the Pacific and Indian Oceans. The current Taiwanese aborigines are believed to be their descendants.