Stone tools from Luzon (700,000 years), Flores (1 million), and Sulawesi (1.04 million) all lie east of the Wallace Line—deep water channels that were never exposed, even during ice ages. This removes a key objection to early human arrival in Australia. Earlier hominins, not us, were master mariners 🌊
Southeast Asian island tools prove hominins crossed seas 1 million years ago
Key facts
- Stone tools on Luzon, Philippines dated to 700,000 years ago
- Stone tools on Flores, Indonesia dated to 1 million years ago
- Stone artifacts on Sulawesi dated to 1.04-1.48 million years ago
- All three islands lie east of the Wallace Line, requiring 100km open water crossings
- Wallace Line marks deep water channels that were never exposed during low sea levels
- Scientists estimate at least 160 breeding individuals needed for successful colonization
- Evidence suggests earlier hominins (not Homo sapiens) capable of intentional seafaring
- Removes key objection to early human arrival in Australia
Sources
lens.monash.edu
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worldhistory.org
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nature.com
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