▁about ▁ 2 0 0 0 ▁to ▁ 1 5 0 0 ▁BC , ▁the ▁Aust ron esian ▁expansion ▁began , ▁with ▁sett lers ▁from ▁Taiwan ▁moving ▁south ▁to ▁colon ize ▁Lu zon ▁in ▁the ▁Philippines , ▁bringing ▁rice ▁cultiv ation ▁techn ologies ▁with ▁them . ▁From ▁Lu zon , ▁Aust ron es ians ▁rapidly ▁colon ized ▁the ▁rest ▁of ▁Island ▁S out heast ▁Asia , ▁moving ▁west wards ▁to ▁Bor neo , ▁the ▁Mal ay ▁Pen ins ula ▁and ▁Sum atra ; ▁and ▁south wards ▁to ▁Sul aw esi ▁and ▁Java . ▁By ▁ 5 0 0 ▁BC , ▁there ▁is ▁evidence ▁of ▁int ensive ▁wet land ▁rice ▁agricult ure ▁already ▁established ▁in ▁Java ▁and ▁B ali , ▁especially ▁near ▁very ▁fert ile ▁vol can ic ▁islands . ▁ ▁R ice ▁did ▁not ▁surv ive ▁the ▁Aust ron esian ▁voy ages ▁into ▁Mic ron esia ▁and ▁Pol yn esia , ▁however ▁wet - field ▁agricult ure ▁was ▁transferred ▁to ▁the ▁cultiv ation ▁of ▁other ▁cro ps , ▁most ▁not ably ▁for ▁t aro ▁cultiv ation . ▁The ▁Aust ron esian ▁Lap ita ▁culture ▁also ▁came ▁into ▁contact ▁with ▁the ▁non - A ust ron esian ▁( P ap uan ) ▁early ▁agricult ur ists ▁of ▁New ▁Guinea ▁and ▁introduced ▁wet land ▁far ming ▁techniques ▁to ▁them . ▁In ▁turn , ▁they ▁assim il ated ▁their ▁range ▁of ▁ind igen ous ▁cultiv ated ▁f ruits ▁and ▁tub ers ▁before ▁spread ing ▁further ▁east ward ▁to ▁Island ▁Mel anes ia ▁and ▁Pol yn esia