Archaeologists from the Australian National University (ANU), Flinders University, University College London (UCL) and the ARC Centre of Excellence for Australia’s Biodiversity and Cultural Heritage have discovered hundreds of stone artefacts and animal bones at Laili Cave in East Timor.
Research published this week within the journal Nature Communications suggests ancient humans inhabited the realm around 44,000 years ago, prompting experts to reassess the chronology and routes of human migration to Australia.
In 2019, Sue O’Connor and her team from the ANU discovered ancient artefacts in Laili Cave in East Timor. Analysis of sediment layers dating from 59,000 to 54,000 years ago suggests that humans didn’t arrive within the region until about 44,000 years ago.
The cave’s prime location and quick access to resources have led scientists to invest that the cave was an obvious stopover for ancient people traveling through the realm.
According to O’Connor, the island of Timor has long been considered an early route for human migration from Southeast Asia to Australia and Papua New Guinea. But latest discoveries challenge that theory.
Evidence suggests that humans have been in Australia for 65,000 years, but only reached Timor about 44,000 years ago. This suggests that migration probably occurred via the islands to the north.
She explained that the absence of humans on the island of Timor until no less than 50,000 years ago has significant implications, indicating a later arrival of ancient humans than previously thought. This evaluation supports the speculation that ancient human migration to Australia occurred via Papua New Guinea, and never via the island of Timor, as previously thought.
The researchers concluded that the migration to Timor was a serious undertaking, as evidenced by the abundance of artifacts found at the location. They imagine that ancient people traveled to Timor from nearby Flores Island and mainland Southeast Asia and used the cave extensively, as evidenced by burn marks and footprints on the cave floor.
Dr Shimona Kealy, from the ANU College of Asia and the Pacific, emphasised that their arrival in Timor was not accidental, but quite represented a serious colonisation effort that was characterised by significant numbers of individuals making the journey. Furthermore, these discoveries underline the advanced maritime technology of the traditional people, including boat constructing and their courage in navigating the seas.
