SAMA BAJAU DISPERSALS TO SABAH

Abstract

This paper discusses the archaeological evidence related to the early dispersals of the Sama Bajau, an Austronesian language speaker to Sabah, Malaysia. A brief review of the current archaeological data and findings will be presented and discussed along with the various issues and problems of the present state of knowledge and views on the Austronesian diaspora in Sabah. The Sama Bajau is an indigenous group of Austronesian language speakers residing in the Sulu-Sulawesi Seas and beyond. Many archaeologists and scholars believed that the Sama Bajau together with the other indigenous ethnic groups in Southeast Asia are the descendants of the Austronesians who migrated to Sabah and elsewhere in Island Southeast Asia and the Pacific region since the Neolithic period, dated 3,000-4,500 BP.   Keywords: archaeological research, Sama Bajau, Austronesian, Sabah, Neolithic