Ancient Seafarers in West Papua Over 55,000 Years Ago

Recent Cambridge University Press findings from in West Papua shed light on the initial human migration into the Pacific, tracing back more than 55 millennia. Pioneering seafarers undertook significant oceanic journeys from Asia to the Pacific Islands, fundamentally influencing the global dispersal of Homo sapiens. They eventually became the forebears of contemporary inhabitants from West Papua to Aotearoa New Zealand.

Breakthrough Archaeological Evidence

A collaborative effort involving researchers from New Zealand, West Papua, and Indonesia, combined efforts to explore Mololo Cave on Waigeo Island in the Raja Ampat archipelago. This significant dig marks the first international venture of its scale in the region. Situated amidst a tropical rainforest, the colossal limestone cave, also known as the confluence of currents in the Ambel language, contains various animal species and showcases signs of ancient human activity dated back to at least 55,000 years ago through radiocarbon testing.

Foraging and Adaptation Skills

Among the key discoveries is a resin artefact, pointing to early and complex resin use outside Africa. This showcases advanced skills in rainforest survival. Analytical study revealed its stepwise creation, from tree-bark processing to final shaping, probably serving as fuel within the cave.

The analysis of animal bones suggests considerable adaptability, with ancient inhabitants hunting diverse wildlife like ground-dwelling birds and marsupials. Despite challenges posed by small and elusive creatures, early humans effectively utilized available rainforest and coastal resources.

Seafaring Routes Hypotheses

The excavation at Mololo Cave elucidates when humans first expanded into the Pacific, fueling ongoing scholarly debate about rapid human migration patterns from Africa through Asia and Oceania. This exploration also informs conversations about human interaction with various species, including the now-extinct Oceanic megafauna and contemporaneous lesser-known hominins like Homo floresiensis.

Several theories persist about early maritime migration routes into the Pacific: a prevailing hypothesis suggests a Southern movement into Australia, yet our findings advocate an alternative Northern passage through West Papua, potentially linked to human settlements traced back 65,000 years in what is now northern Australia.

West Papua: An Untapped Archaeological Resource

Although recent research advances understanding, much remains unknown about West Papua's prehistoric eras, mainly due to socio-political constraints affecting current studies. Early West Papuans exhibited sophisticated navigation and adaptive strategies crucial for small tropical island habitation. Future archaeological enquiries aim to delve deeper into human adaptation amidst climatic shifts. Further regional studies including sites in Papua New Guinea, suggesting human spread to New Guinea Highlands, Bismarck Archipelago, and Solomon Islands around 30,000 years ago, alongside recent seafaring extensions within last millennium, emphasize the ongoing endeavor famously tracing earliest navigators' west-to-east trajectories across the Pacific expanse.

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