Early Kuduk Migrations
The Early Kuduk Migrations is a hypothesis surrounding a series of migrations of the Early Kuduk peoples, who spread from an origin point around the southern coast of Central Sagut across much of the isles. Throughout the migrations, the Early Kuduk peoples culturally diversified and influenced each other as they migrated.
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Most evidence supporting the hypothesis is archaeological, specifically in the form of artifacts that were recovered surrounding the areas touched by the migration paths that were remarkably similar to one another, suggesting a common cultural origin. The origin point of the Early Kuduk peoples was located around the southwestern point of the modern-day Manirak Tribe; however, attempts to correlate the expected pathways of the migrations to the expansion and evolution of Kuduk’s language have been inconclusive. While the migrations are widely accepted to have happened, the lack of linguistic evidence supporting it renders its status as just a hypothesis.
The migrations are believed to have taken place between 3300 BCE and 900 BCE, spanning from the beginning of the Bronze Age to near the beginning of the Classical Age. Evidence points to there being a split early on near the migration’s starting point with one group migrating westward and the second migrating northeast. The first group later split once again with one group staying behind (group number 5) and the other continuing around the western coast of Kuduk all the way to the far north (group number seven). The second group to split off from the origin point branched off into groups two, three, and four. Group three settled near the modern-day Arakuk Tribe in central Kakut, group two migrated toward eastern Sagut, and group four sailed to Northern Heiki. Another group (group six) split off from group four and migrated along the western coast of Heiki all the way to its southernmost point.
Expansion
The origin or “hearth” of the Early Kuduk peoples is believed to be near the modern day village of Chagu Táak. The name given to the region historians believe act as the point of origin for the migrations is the Chagu region, which spans from the Yevak-Manirak border to the village of Hochigo. Ever since the mid 20th century, archaeologists have agreed that the Chagu region had been inhabited by the same peoples who originally settled Kuduk in from 3300 BCE to date. Just before the beginning of the second millennium, the Chagu region had a dense network of cultures and villages that interacted one another and encouraged expansion outward. Early explorers that traveled to eastern Sagut found expansive plains and large forests which many archaeologists agree was likely the cause of the halting of any further expansion for a few millennia. Advancements in nautical technology, most notably the refinement of a previous invention, the kayak, allowed for the early eastern plains people to sail across the Middle Lake of Kuduk and into the region of Central Kakut between 2900 and 2700 BCE. Early settlers found Kakut to be predominantly forested in a similar manner to far eastern Sagut.
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Around the midpoint of the second millennium (2500-2300 BCE), expansion continued across the ocean, made possible by the kayak, and into Northern Heiki. The people who settled in northern Heiki found the area to be heavily mountainous and forested, a stark contrast to the Great Plains. Many archaeologists theorize that the reason expansion to Southern Heiki took so long was because the terrain of Heiki proved to be difficult to settle in. Today, many accept that theory as true to explain the lack of any anthropological evidence in South Heiki older than 1800 BCE.
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Many theories exist as to why the Western plains took until the end of the second millennium to be inhabited, but one of the most widely accepted ones is due to the humid and swamp climate the Western Plains have during the summer, making it difficult for any explorers to create any permanent settlements. Despite this, settlements began appearing around 2000 BCE, most notably on the border between the modern-day Anana and Yevak Tribes. Using the Kayak and refining it even further in order to travel longer distances, the Early Western Coast peoples migrated northward toward the Rotantic Peninsula of Kuduk, where they hunted various cetaceans and left behind archaeological evidence in the form of scrimshaw. These Early Western Coast people are likely to be the cultural hearth for the Proto-Anana peoples that dominated the west coast of Kuduk up until the end of the Classical Age. With the settlement of the early Táankat people, the Kuduk migrations came to an end.
Evidence
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Evidence in favor of the migration mostly comes from archaeological sources. The works of Tegu Yeva (1948 and 1952) have acted as the foundation for the hypothesis since its inception, and the research of Alan Ghoa (1983, 1986, and 1990) which solidified the theory’s status as the accepted status quo.
Yeva’s first archaeological collection, The Way of Life (1948), explores concepts of archaeology with reference to the Early Kuduk Peoples. Although the book does not directly address the theory of the Early Kuduk Migrations, the text introduces it in a positive light. The Way of Life was considered quite controversial and harshly debated over in the archaeological community. It wouldn’t be until 1952 that Yeva would publish her second book, The Theory of Early Migration, which directly addresses the topic. She provides her own research, as well as research and work from peers such as Dai Yamáat, Chatatunga Tumbinai, and Máa Kotoa, that argue in favor of the Early Migration theory.