An Exploratory Framework of Land-Sea Movement Model for Early Austronesians Migration

Archaeological, linguistic, and genetic evidence confirms that the Austronesian language family originated in the Southeast Asian mainland. However, these interdisciplinary findings remain inadequately integrated within a unified geospatial framework, leading to fragmented research efforts and potential oversight of critical insights due to insufficient digital integration. This study investigates human spatial mobility patterns across terrestrial and maritime environments, contextualized within the Austronesians expansion from the Yangtze River Delta, a region associated with early rice cultivation (pre-domestication), to continental Southeast Asia and the broader Pacific. Methodologically, we developed an exploratory analytical framework using Geographic Information Systems (GIS) tools to simulate least-cost corridors and optimal migration pathways. The framework yields four archaeologically interpretable dimensions: (1) land-sea mobility contrasts, (2) seasonal movement variability, (3) round-trip journey dynamics, and (4) comparative analyses of least-cost versus alternative migration strategies. By bridging environmental and anthropogenic factors, this framework advances understanding of early human migration patterns, provides a foundation for analyzing cultural identity through spatial behavior, and establishes a baseline for developing refined maritime mobility models.