Popular Mechanics by Tim Newcomb 2/25/2025
• Stone tool analysis of sites in Southeast Asia provided evidence that the area was a technological leader in seafaring.
• Archaeology supports that, 40,000 years ago, the people living in Southeast Asia were well-versed in boatbuilding and open-sea fishing.
• This research puts Southeast Asia ahead of Europe and Africa in technological process.
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In the history of studying the proliferation of humanity across the globe, there has long been one question that has stumped researchers: How did the islands of Southeast Asia (ISEA) become so well-inhabited so long ago? It likely required technological seafaring advancements beyond what was considered likely during the Paleolithic era. But those experts may have a surprising new answer thanks to new research that shows the ancient people of the Philippines and ISEA may have mastered seafaring well before anyone else.
The pivotal archaeological evidence comes in the form of stone tools excavated at sites in the Philippines, Indonesia, and Timor-Leste, showing strong evidence that as far back as 40,000 years ago, there was a technological sophistication from these ancient seafarers that rivals much later civilizations. In a study published in the Journal of Archaeological Science, researchers from Ateneo de Manila University challenge the accepted belief that Paleolithic technical progress was centered in Africa and Europe.
Proving seafaring history represents a tricky endeavor, since organic wood and fiber that would have likely been used in constructing Paleolithic seacraft rarely survive in the archaeological record. These stone tools offer a new way in. The most recent discovery, according to the study, shows traces of plant processing that features the “extraction of fibers necessary for making ropes, nets, and bindings essential for boatbuilding and open-sea fishing.”
More:
https://www.yahoo.com/news/archaeologists-found-ancient-tools-contradict-143000255.html
