Who was first? Is this time frame accurate?

Answers:
1) Who knows?
2) No.

I'm not quite so sure what's interesting about it. Archeologists estimate a 400 year period in which island was colonized and on top of that slap "at the same time or shortly afterwards" to the colonization from Africa. Neither part of this is very "accurate"...

As near as I can determine those are the only established dates. Much of the work on Madascagar in the 19th and 20th century is in French.

It interesting that the "Indonesians" could get to Madascagar - showing a sign of their saling skill and deep water technology. If the time lines are right the nearer African coming later. I also looked at the Comoros. These islands lie between Mad. and the continent and they were settled by Madagascarian of Indonesian descent in the 6th century AFAIK.

I think that it's one of the more neglected areas of the world, so I'm not sure that much research has been done there. However, a recent book (Extinctions in Near Time: Causes, Contexts, and Consequences by DA Burney) says that charcoal/fire evidence shows the colonization in some areas is at least as old as 2000 years BP.

Yep, that voygage from Indonesia would have been impressive-even if they went by way of the Maldives. Another earlier thread the Borodur showed a use of that technology.

The lack of west, eastern or southern African settler there makes a statement about the naval technology. It is interesting that no sign of the Dilmun, Harappa or any other culture made it to Madascagar.

Odd - or has it not yet been found?