Human dispersal and plant processing in the Pacific 55,000–50,000 years ago

Human dispersal and plant processing in the Pacific 55,000–50,000 years ago

The nature of Homo sapiens dispersals into the Pacific remains intensely debated. We present archaeological investigations in the Raja Ampat Islands, northwest of New Guinea, that provide the earliest evidence for humans arriving in the Pacific >55–50,000 years ago. The results demonstrate a nort...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Gaffney, D, Tanudirjo, D, Djami, ENI, Mas'ud, Z, Macap, AR, Russell, T, Dailom, M, Ray, Y, Higham, T, Bradshaw, F, Petchey, F, Florin, SA, 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, Heberle, S
Format: Journal article
Language:English
Published: Cambridge University Press 2024
Description
Summary:The nature of Homo sapiens dispersals into the Pacific remains intensely debated. We present archaeological investigations in the Raja Ampat Islands, northwest of New Guinea, that provide the earliest evidence for humans arriving in the Pacific >55–50,000 years ago. The results demonstrate a northern equatorial route into New Guinea was a viable dispersal corridor to Sahul, alongside a southerly route to Australia. The evidence also indicates that early people visited tropical forests to process tree resins and hunt small animals suggesting that both rainforest and marine resources, rather than a purely maritime specialisation, was important for Pacific peoples’ adaptive success.

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