Archaeological research in the Yaeyama Islands, southern
Japan, has a hundred year old history, yet little of it is
known to those archaeologists working outside the immediate
area. This area is of importance to those working in
Southeast Asia and the Pacific as the colonisation of the
Yaeyama Islands allows a closer assessment of the nature
and timing of Austronesian movement out of Taiwan. This
paper will examine the colonisation of the Yaeyama
Islands and its archaeological signature, Shimotabaru
pottery, by first reviewing the archaeological developments
of this island group, followed by an examination of
the timing of colonisation and the nature of Shimotabaru
pottery production. It will be argued that the early occupation
in the Yaeyama Islands characterised by Shimotabaru
pottery is the signature of Austronesian colonisation
from Taiwan, from between 4500 and 3900 years
ago. Yet the colonising signature in the Yaeyama Islands
is of a different character to the Austronesian presence in
the islands south of Taiwan. This suggests that the nature
of Austronesian expansion in general was more complex
than is proposed in the prevailing model.
