Seven stone flakes from a Sulawesi cornfield are at least 1.04 million years old and possibly as old as 1.48 million—the earliest published evidence of people beyond the Wallace Line. Sulawesi remained separated from mainland Asia even at glacial low sea levels. Flores tools (~1.02 mya) and Luzon butchered rhino bones (~709,000 ya) record further island crossings. The video argues that this pattern reflects deliberate seafaring rather than accidental rafting. 🌊
1-million-year-old Sulawesi tools suggest the earliest known Wallace Line crossing
Site mentioned
📍 Calio
Key facts
- In 2025, researchers reported seven chert flakes excavated from a cornfield at Calio in South Sulawesi.
- The sediment layer containing the flakes, found alongside a fossil pig tooth, dates to 1.04–1.48 million years ago.
- Sulawesi lies east of the Wallace Line and remained separated from mainland Asia even during glacial low sea levels.
- Stone tools from Flores date to approximately 1.02 million years ago.
- Butchered rhinoceros bones from Callao Cave on Luzon date to roughly 709,000 years ago.
- The finds show hominins reaching islands across water barriers; the video argues that this pattern reflects deliberate seafaring rather than accidental rafting.
Sources
nature.com
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nature.com
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nationalgeographic.com
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jstor.org
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edition.cnn.com
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Ancient stone tools found on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi represent the oldest evidence for humans living there 1 million years ago.
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