From the edges of the Arctic to the hottest deserts , humans have eked out survival – flourish , even – inpretty muchevery corner of the globe . function out precisely how that happened , however , is an ambitiousness that has long evaded investigator – particularly those studying the history of human dispersals across the Pacific Ocean .
A new find out of Waigeo Island , in the Raja Ampat archipelago of West Papua , has upend the stock picture of prehistorical migration in the area . There , during an digging of Mololo Cave – the name means “ the spot where the currents hail together , ” explained Dylan Gaffney and Daud Aris Tanudirjo , two of the researchers behind the new discovery , in a corresponding article forThe Conversation , making it “ fittingly distinguish for the choppy Ethel Waters and big whirlpools in the nearby sound ” – a team of archeologist uncover not only the old sign of human habitation in the Pacific Islands , but anywhere at all outdoors of Africa .
“ mining unveil several layers of human occupation associated with Edward Durell Stone artefacts , animal bones , shells and charcoal – all forcible remains toss out by ancient humans living at the cave , ” the twosome publish .
Tree resin artefact excavated from Mololo Cave, dated to 50,000-55,000 years old.Image credit: Dylan Gaffney (The Raja Ampat Archaeological Project);CC BY-SA 4.0
“ These archaeologic finding were rarified in the deepest layers , ” they contribute , “ but radiocarbon see at the University of Oxford and the University of Waikato demonstrated humans were live at Mololo by at least 55,000 years before the present daylight . ”
Of particular interest to the team was a lilliputian artefact , barely a duet of centimetre across , made from Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree rosin . The researchers are n’t even wholly certain what its role was – they suggest , based on modernistic practices , that it may have been used as a fuel source – but that ’s not what make it so crucial : as a clearly human - made tool , created purposefully over several point , it represents the development of complex and culturally specific skills by residential district living in the rainforests of West Papua .
“ The use of complex plant processing indicate these human were sophisticated , extremely roving , and able to organise originative solutions to survive on modest tropic island , ” said Tanudirjo , a prof of archaeology at Universitas Gadjah Mada and co - film director of the study , in astatement .
Ancient migration routes from Asia to the Pacific region.Image credit: Dylan Gaffney (The Raja Ampat Archaeological Project)
But while the excavation is important for what it tells us about ancient West Papuans – a universe that has so far been relatively under - researched due to the political and social crises that beset the part – it also summate a full of life piece to the teaser of human account in the wider area .
See , precisely when and how our ancestors move out of Asia and across the Pacific is something of a raging - button issue in the archaeological community : “ it has major deduction for how rapidly our species distribute out of Africa to Asia and Oceania , ” write Gaffney and Tanudirjo , as well as impacting how prehistorical people may have interacted with other species – both creature andhuman .
in general , investigator fall into one of two camp : either they believe humans enrol the Pacific along a southern itinerary , viaAustralia , or a northern route , traveling up into West Papua . So far , the evidence in either direction has been circumstantial – but with this dig , and particularly the depth psychology of the resin artifact , the team have find “ the first firm , direct radiocarbon go steady grounds that human race moved through the northern route to the Pacific region before 50,000 years ago , ” the statement confirms .
Waigeo Island , then , was not just a home to complex ancient societies , dwell by skilled seafarers and craftspeople well - adapt to life in the rain forest – it was also their gateway to the intact Pacific .
“ We know from other archeological sites [ … ] that once man arrived in the Pacific area , they kept pretend as far as the New Guinea Highlands , the Bismarck Archipelago and the Solomon Islands by 30,000 year ago , ” Gaffney and Tanudirjo explained . “ Their descendent later voyaged as far as Hawaii , Rapa Nuiand Aotearoa . ”
“ Charting the archaeology of West Papua is vital , ” they conclude , “ because it helps us empathize where the ancestors of the wider Pacific came from and how they adapted to living in this new and unfamiliar sea of island . ”
The written report is issue in the journalAntiquity .
