An ancient people In anthropology, the Atayal are classified as an Austronesian people, which is one branch of the Indonesian family. Scholars see such Atayal cultural traditions as patrilineal inheritance of names, frame architecture, face tattooing and head hunting as evidence that they are descended from mainland China's ancient Yueliao people.
在人類學上的分類來說，泰雅族屬於南島語族（Austronesian Family）中，印度尼西亞語系（Indonesian）的一支，根據泰雅族之父子連名制、欄干式建築、鑿齒、文面、獵頭等文化傳統，推測他們極可能屬於中國大陸古代越獠民族的一支。