Human dispersal and plant processing in the Pacific 55 000–50 000 years ago.
More On Article
- HEAS Member Michael Doneus Receives Award For Contribution to Archaeology
- HEAS Seminar Series Speakers Announced
- Call for Papers: Calling all Palaeolithic and prehistoric researchers using GIS!
- HEAS Deputy Head Ron Pinhasi and MINERVA Team Publishes on Polymer Length
- Sediment talks, or: what interdisciplinary archaeological prospection of the Kreuttal microregion’s sediment archive can tell us about the landscape history
Gaffney, D., Tanudirjo, D.A., Djami, E.N.I., Mas’ud, Z., Macap, A.R., Russell, T., Dailom, M., Ray, Y., Higham, T., Bradshaw, F., Petchey, F., Florin, S.A., Roberts, P., Lucas, M., Tromp, M., Greig, K., Xhauflair, H., Montenegro, A., Hall, R., Boulanger, C., Ono, R., Oertle, A., Scholz, D., Spitzer, M., Szabo, K., Bertelli, I., Ribechini, E., Haberle, S., 2024. Human dispersal and plant processing in the Pacific 55 000–50 000 years ago. Antiquity, 1-20.
Abstract
The dynamics of our species’ dispersal into the Pacific remains intensely debated. The authors present archaeological investigations in the Raja Ampat Islands, north-west of New Guinea, that provide the earliest known evidence for humans arriving in the Pacific more than 55 000–50 000 years ago. Seafaring simulations demonstrate that a northern equatorial route into New Guinea via the Raja Ampat Islands was a viable dispersal corridor to Sahul at this time. Analysis of faunal remains and a resin artefact further indicates that exploitation of both rainforest and marine resources, rather than a purely maritime specialisation, was important for the adaptive success of Pacific peoples.