▁in ▁the ▁Pro to - A ust ron esian ▁languages ▁in ▁Taiwan , ▁re construct ed ▁as ▁* t ə bu S ▁or ▁** C eb u S , ▁which ▁became ▁* te bu h ▁in ▁Pro to - Mal ay o - Pol yn esian . ▁It ▁was ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁original ▁major ▁cro ps ▁of ▁the ▁Aust ron esian ▁pe op les ▁from ▁at ▁least ▁ 5 , 5 0 0 ▁B P . ▁Introduction ▁of ▁the ▁swe eter ▁S . ▁offic inar um ▁may ▁have ▁gradually ▁replaced ▁it ▁throughout ▁its ▁cultiv ated ▁range ▁in ▁mar itime ▁S out heast ▁Asia . ▁ ▁From ▁Island ▁S out heast ▁Asia , ▁S . ▁offic inar um ▁was ▁spread ▁east ward ▁into ▁Pol yn esia ▁and ▁Mic ron esia ▁by ▁Aust ron esian ▁voy agers ▁as ▁a ▁can oe ▁plant ▁by ▁around ▁ 3 , 5 0 0 ▁B P . ▁It ▁was ▁also ▁spread ▁west ward ▁and ▁north ward ▁by ▁around ▁ 3 , 0 0 0 ▁B P ▁to ▁China ▁and ▁India ▁by ▁Aust ron esian ▁trad ers , ▁where ▁it ▁further ▁hy brid ized ▁with ▁Sac char um ▁sin ense ▁and ▁Sac char um ▁bar ber i . ▁From ▁there ▁it ▁spread ▁further ▁into ▁western ▁E uras ia ▁and ▁the ▁Mediter rane an . ▁ ▁The ▁earliest ▁known ▁production ▁of ▁cry st all ine ▁sugar ▁began ▁in ▁northern ▁India . ▁The ▁exact ▁date ▁of ▁the ▁first ▁can e ▁sugar ▁production ▁is ▁unclear . ▁ ▁The ▁earliest ▁evidence ▁of ▁sugar ▁production