Four Waves of Migration vs Out-of-Taiwan Hypothesis

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The Four Waves of Migration by H. Otley Beyer

Henry Otley Beyer, an American anthropologist and ethnologist, is known as the "Father of Philippine Anthropology." He proposed a now-famous theory that the Philippines was populated through four successive waves of migration. While modern archaeology and genetics have challenged this model, it remains widely taught and discussed in Philippine history.

🌊 First Wave: Dawn Man (~250,000 years ago)

This refers to a prehistoric hominid, similar to Java Man or Peking Man (Homo erectus), believed to have lived in parts of the Philippines. Fossil evidence is scarce, and much of it remains debated.

🌳 Second Wave: Negritos (25,000–30,000 years ago)

The Negritos, small-statured hunter-gatherers, are believed to have arrived via land bridges during the Ice Age. They used simple tools and settled in forested areas. Some groups like the Aeta and Agta are descendants of this wave.

⛵ Third Wave: Indonesian Seafarers (5,000–6,000 years ago)

These migrants came using advanced sea vessels. They brought more refined tools and settled along coastlines and river valleys. Two types are sometimes mentioned: Type A (tall and light-skinned) and Type B (shorter and darker).

🏺 Fourth Wave: Malays (~3,000 years ago)

The Malays came from the Malaysian peninsula and parts of Indonesia. They introduced iron tools, pottery, weaving, agriculture, and formed the cultural backbone of pre-colonial Filipino societies.

📉 Criticisms of the Theory

Beyer's model has been challenged for its lack of archaeological support and oversimplified view of cultural development. Modern scholars now favor the Out-of-Taiwan Hypothesis, which traces Filipino ancestry to Austronesian-speaking peoples who migrated from Taiwan around 3000–2500 BCE.

📚 Sources and Readings

• Models of Migration to the Philippines - Wikipedia
• History Learning - Wave Migration Theory
• Scribd - Wave Migration Summary
• The LaSallian - Human Migration to the Philippines
• Indiana University - The Peopling of the Philippines (PDF)

🧭 Summary Table

Wave	Approx. Date	Group	Mode of Arrival	Contributions
1	~250,000 years ago	"Dawn Man" (Homo erectus)	Land	Stone tools
2	25,000–30,000 years ago	Negritos	Land bridges	Hunting, forest dwelling
3	5,000–6,000 years ago	Indonesian Seafarers	By boat	Farming, tools
4	~3,000 years ago	Malays	By boat	Iron, agriculture, language

Today, many Filipino students still learn Beyer’s model in school as a foundation for discussing early migration, though newer evidence continues to reshape our understanding of Filipino origins.

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