Human dispersal and plant processing in the Pacific 55 000–50 000 years ago.
More On Article
- Up and down the hill: Hillforts and dry stone wall enclosures on the Kvarner Islands of Cres and Lošinj in remote sensing data
- A microcontextual investigation of Later Stone Age ash deposits and associated interment of human remains at Faraoskop Rock Shelter, South Africa
- 35 Jahre “Archäologie Österreichs”. Ein Rück-und Ausblick auf die Wissensvermittlung durch Printmedien der ÖGUF.
- HEAS Members Publish GENOVIS: a Python package for the visualization of population genetic analyses
- GENOVIS: a Python package for the visualization of population genetic analyses
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.