▁Arch ip el ago ▁( Sum atra , ▁Ban jar ▁and ▁Bug is ). ▁between ▁ 2 0 0 ▁B CE ▁and ▁ 5 0 0 ▁CE , ▁colon ized ▁by ▁S riv ij aya ▁Empire ▁( now ▁Indones ia ), ▁according ▁to ▁an ▁extensive ▁new ▁mit och ond rial ▁DNA ▁study , ▁native ▁Mal ag asy ▁people ▁today ▁can ▁likely ▁trace ▁their ▁gen etic ▁her itage ▁back ▁to ▁ 3 0 ▁different ▁moth ers ▁from ▁Indones ia . ▁In ▁either ▁case , ▁these ▁dates ▁make ▁Mad agas car ▁the ▁last ▁major ▁land mass ▁on ▁Earth ▁to ▁be ▁settled ▁by ▁humans , ▁except ▁for ▁I cel and ▁and ▁New ▁Zealand . ▁ ▁Upon ▁arrival , ▁early ▁sett lers ▁pract iced ▁slash - and - burn ▁agricult ure ▁to ▁clear ▁the ▁coast al ▁rain for ests ▁for ▁cultiv ation . ▁The ▁first ▁sett lers ▁encountered ▁Mad agas car ' s ▁abund ance ▁of ▁meg af a una , ▁including ▁giant ▁lem urs , ▁ele ph ant ▁birds , ▁giant ▁f ossa ▁and ▁the ▁Mal ag asy ▁hi pp op ot am us , ▁which ▁have ▁since ▁become ▁ext inct ▁because ▁of ▁hunting ▁and ▁habitat ▁destruction . ▁By ▁ 6 0 0   AD , ▁groups ▁of ▁these ▁early ▁sett lers ▁had ▁begun ▁clear ing ▁the ▁for ests ▁of ▁the ▁central ▁high lands . ▁Arab ▁trad ers ▁first ▁reached ▁the ▁island ▁between ▁the ▁ 7 th ▁and ▁ 9 th ▁centuries . ▁A ▁wave ▁of ▁B ant u - spe aking ▁migr ants ▁from ▁sout