Episode 166: The Prehistory of Austronesian-Speaking Peoples

This source in this podcast uses comparative linguistics to reconstruct the prehistory of Austronesian-speaking peoples. The study focuses on reconstructing Proto-Austronesian (PAN), the ancestor of the Austronesian language family, and traces the expansion of Austronesian speakers from Taiwan across the Pacific and into Southeast Asia. The author explores various aspects of their culture, including their economy, social organization, technology, and beliefs, drawing on linguistic data to infer details about their material culture, environment, and social structures. The paper also examines the controversial hypothesis of an Austric superfamily connecting Austronesian and Austroasiatic languages. A Journal of World Prehistory Vol 9 #4