Latest news with #Wallacea
South China Morning Post
5 days ago
- Science
- South China Morning Post
Scientists find possible evidence of humans living 1.5 million years ago in Indonesia
Scientists have found a series of stone tools on Indonesia's Sulawesi island that they believe could be proof of humans living on islands between Asia and Australia 1.5 million years ago, which would make them the earliest known civilisation in the Wallacea region. Archaeologists from Australia and Indonesia found small, chipped tools – used to cut small animals and carve rocks – under the soil in the region of Soppeng in South Sulawesi. Radioactive tracing of these tools and the teeth of animals found around the site dated back up to 1.48 million years ago. The findings could transform theories of early human migrations, according to an article the archaeologists published in the journal Nature in August.
The Herald
11-08-2025
- Science
- The Herald
Scientists find possible artefacts of ‘oldest known hominids' in Indonesia
Scientists have found stone tools on Indonesia's Sulawesi island they say may be evidence of humans living 1.5-million years ago on islands between Asia and Australia, the earliest known humans in the Wallacea region. Archaeologists from Australia and Indonesia found the small, chipped tools, used to cut small animals and carve rocks, under soil in the region of Soppeng in South Sulawesi. Radioactive tracing of the tools and the teeth of animals found around the site were dated at up to 1.48-million years ago. The findings could transform theories about early human migrations, according to an article the archaeologists published in the journal Nature in August. The earliest Wallacean humans, pre-historic persons known as Homo Erectus , were thought to have only settled in Indonesia's Flores island and Philippines' Luzon island around 1.02-million years ago, as they were thought to be incapable of distant sea travel, proving the significance of the Sulawesi findings in theories of migration.
Yahoo
11-08-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Scientists find possible artefacts of oldest known Wallacean hominids in Indonesia
SOPPENG, Indonesia (Reuters) -Scientists have found a series of stone tools on Indonesia's Sulawesi island they say may be evidence of humans living 1.5 million years ago on islands between Asia and Australia, the earliest known humans in the Wallacea region. Archaeologists from Australia and Indonesia found the small, chipped tools, used to cut little animals and carve rocks, under the soil in the region of Soppeng in South Sulawesi. Radioactive tracing of these tools and the teeth of animals found around the site were dated at up to 1.48 million years ago. The findings could transform theories of early human migrations, according to an article the archaeologists published in the journal Nature in August. The earliest Wallacean humans, pre-historic persons known as Homo Erectus, were thought to have only settled in Indonesia's Flores island and Philippines' Luzon island around 1.02 million years ago, as they were thought to be incapable of distant sea travel, proving the significance of the Sulawesi findings in theories of migration. 'These were artefacts made by ancient humans who lived on the earth long before the evolution of our species, Homo Sapiens,' said Adam Brumm, lead archaeologist from Griffith University in Queensland, Australia. 'We think Homo Erectus somehow got from the Asian mainland across a significant ocean gap to this island, Sulawesi, at least 1 million years ago," Brumm said. Wallacea is a region in Eastern Indonesia including several islands such as Sulawesi, Lombok, Flores, Timor, Sumbawa that lie between Borneo and Java and Australia and New Guinea. The region is named for the naturalist Alfred Russel Wallace who studied the fauna and flora of the area. Solve the daily Crossword
South China Morning Post
11-08-2025
- Science
- South China Morning Post
1.5 million-year-old stone tools found in Indonesia rewrite human history
Scientists have found a series of stone tools on Indonesia 's Sulawesi island they say may be evidence of humans living 1.5 million years ago on islands between Asia and Australia, the earliest known humans in the Wallacea region. Archaeologists from Australia and Indonesia found the small, chipped tools, used to cut little animals and carve rocks, under the soil in the region of Soppeng in South Sulawesi. Radioactive tracing of these tools and the teeth of animals found around the site was dated at up to 1.48 million years ago. The findings could transform theories of early human migrations, according to an article the archaeologists published in the journal Nature this month. Excavations at Calio in southern Sulawesi, Indonesia. Photo: BRIN/Handout The earliest Wallacean humans, prehistoric persons known as Homo erectus, were thought to have only settled in Indonesia's Flores island and the Philippines ' Luzon island around 1.02 million years ago, as they were thought to be incapable of distant sea travel, proving the significance of the Sulawesi findings in theories of migration. 'These were artefacts made by ancient humans who lived on the earth long before the evolution of our species, Homo sapiens,' said Adam Brumm, lead archaeologist from Griffith University in Queensland, Australia. 'We think Homo erectus somehow got from the Asian mainland across a significant ocean gap to this island, Sulawesi, at least 1 million years ago.' Wallacea is a region in Eastern Indonesia, including several islands such as Sulawesi, Lombok, Flores, Timor and Sumbawa that lie between Borneo and Java and Australia and New Guinea. The region is named for the naturalist Alfred Russel Wallace, who studied the fauna and flora of the area.
Reuters
11-08-2025
- Science
- Reuters
Scientists find possible artefacts of oldest known Wallacean hominids in Indonesia
SOPPENG, Indonesia, Aug 11 (Reuters) - Scientists have found a series of stone tools on Indonesia's Sulawesi island they say may be evidence of humans living 1.5 million years ago on islands between Asia and Australia, the earliest known humans in the Wallacea region. Archaeologists from Australia and Indonesia found the small, chipped tools, used to cut little animals and carve rocks, under the soil in the region of Soppeng in South Sulawesi. Radioactive tracing of these tools and the teeth of animals found around the site were dated at up to 1.48 million years ago. The findings could transform theories of early human migrations, according to an article the archaeologists published in the journal Nature in August. The earliest Wallacean humans, pre-historic persons known as Homo Erectus, were thought to have only settled in Indonesia's Flores island and Philippines' Luzon island around 1.02 million years ago, as they were thought to be incapable of distant sea travel, proving the significance of the Sulawesi findings in theories of migration. 'These were artefacts made by ancient humans who lived on the earth long before the evolution of our species, Homo Sapiens,' said Adam Brumm, lead archaeologist from Griffith University in Queensland, Australia. 'We think Homo Erectus somehow got from the Asian mainland across a significant ocean gap to this island, Sulawesi, at least 1 million years ago," Brumm said. Wallacea is a region in Eastern Indonesia including several islands such as Sulawesi, Lombok, Flores, Timor, Sumbawa that lie between Borneo and Java and Australia and New Guinea. The region is named for the naturalist Alfred Russel Wallace who studied the fauna and flora of the area.
