Little Black People of China

[Narmer]

Taipei Times:

In honor of the Little Black People
The Saisiyat tribe of Hsinchu and Miaoli will perform a solemn rite this weekend to commemorate a race of people that they exterminated

By Jules Quartly
STAFF REPORTER
Saturday, Nov 27, 2004, Page 16

Xiangtian Lake is one of two places to see the ritual.
PHOTO: TAIPEI TIMES
Drinking, singing and dancing are expected to take place deep in the mountains of Miaoli and Hsinchu when the "Ritual of the Little Black People" (矮靈祭) is performed by the Saisiyat tribe once again this weekend.

For the past 100 years or so, the Saisiyat tribe (賽夏族) has performed the songs and rites of the festival to bring good harvests, ward off bad luck and keep alive the spirit of a race of people who are said to have preceded all others in Taiwan.

In fact, the short, black men the festival celebrates are one of the most ancient types of modern humans on this planet and their kin still survive in Asia today. They are said to be diminutive Africoids and are variously called Pygmies, Negritos and Aeta. They are found in the Philippines, northern Malaysia, Thailand, Sumatra in Indonesia and other places.

Chinese historians called them "black dwarfs" in the Three Kingdoms period (AD 220 to AD 280) and they were still to be found in China during the Qing dynasty (1644 to 1911). In Taiwan they were called the "Little Black People" and, apart from being diminutive, they were also said to be broad-nosed and dark-skinned with curly hair.


After the Little Black People -- and well before waves of Han migrations after 1600 -- came the Aboriginal tribes, who are part of the Austronesian race. They are thought to have come from the Malay Archipelago 6,000 years ago at the earliest and around 1,000 years ago at the latest, though theories on Aborigine migration to Taiwan are still hotly debated. Gradually the Little Black People became scarcer, until a point about 100 years ago, when there was just a small group living near the Saisiyat tribe.

The Melanesian/Austroid phenotype was obviously one of the earliest human migrations right across Asia, but does anyone else know of existing populations in China into the modern era?

[Geto-Thracian]

This is super interesting to me. I wonder why these types of people are nowhere near europe and where our primitives are? Neandertals? I can't wait until we et to the bottom of all this stuff...won't be too long.

[Decimator]

Southern Asia was populated by various types of Australoids before the Mongolid, Semitic and Aryan expansions. Some people with Australoid features can be found as far West as Yemen

[Geto-Thracian]

Southern Asia was populated by various types of Australoids before the Mongolid, Semitic and Aryan expansions. Some people with Australoid features can be found as far West as Yemen

True, True! I wonder where the first mongoloids and first caucasoids evolved. Maybe by mixing with Neandertals and their eastern cousins?

[Narmer]

True, True! I wonder where the first mongoloids and first caucasoids evolved. Maybe by mixing with Neandertals and their eastern cousins?

Based on most historic population movements, my guess has always been C Asia for that for both groups.

Western populations are well known, i.e. the ones in Yemen you mention, but also elsewhere like Ghor valley in Jordan, some Palestinian bedouins (though there are more recent origins here too) - but not as surprising given their proximity to Africa. Many of these groups are also more closely related to African and Near Eastern populations, whereas Melanasian groups are more close in STR matches to Far East populations - i.e. they are "black" but are really as far related as you can get in the human family.


So, anyone know of existing populations in China? We got them in Phillipines, Malaysia, Thailand, etc., but I've never seen them in China proper yet.

[Decimator]

I'm sure there are, but remember the Han Chinese breed like rats. So in total comparision they're probably like 0.000001% of the population

[Narmer]

I'm sure there are, but remember the Han Chinese breed like rats. So in total comparision they're probably like 0.000001% of the population

You should be careful with your vermin analogy; I think I've heard it before.

They would obviously be miniscule in number simply based on the length of time involved. But I'm wondering if there are any isolated populations that have avoided miscegenation, simply out of interest to examine them further.

[riser]

There are not Australoid on the Chinese mainland. There are plenty of pseudo native americans, and plenty of burmese or thai looking people in the southron border provinces.

[Decimator]

You should be careful with your vermin analogy; I think I've heard it before.

They would obviously be miniscule in number simply based on the length of time involved. But I'm wondering if there are any isolated populations that have avoided miscegenation, simply out of interest to examine them further.

Do you disagree a country of over 1,000,000,000 indeed breeds like rats, or rabbits if you prefer?

[Narmer]

Do you disagree a country of over 1,000,000,000 indeed breeds like rats, or rabbits if you prefer?

I disagree indeed.

Instead I'll point out that China and India did not have vast continents of the Americas, Australia, NZ, S Africa, etc. to a) commit a genocide of the local people there b) repopulate the areas with their surplus populations.

Somehow to me that makes them better, not worse.