Archaeologists and historians have long been baffled by the unsolved mystery surrounding the densely populated islands of Southeast Asia that were inhabited long ago.
It is assumed that to populate the islands technological advances in navigation, beyond what was thought possible in the Paleolithic era or the Old Stone Age.were necessary.
These experts pondering this question may have a shocking new answer as new research shows that ancient people Philippines and ISEA may have mastered seafaring much earlier than anyone else.
A new study published in the Journal of Archaeological Science challenges the conventional wisdom that technological progress during the Paleolithic era was concentrated in Africa and Europe.
Monumental archaeological evidence consists of stone tools excavated in the Philippines, Indonesia and Timor-Leste, providing compelling evidence that as early as 40,000 years ago, these ancient seafarers demonstrated technological sophistication that rivaled that of much later civilizations.
The challenge of proving seafaring history stems from the fact that the organic woods and fibers likely used in the construction of Paleolithic seagoing ships are rarely preserved in the archaeological record.
However, these new stone tools found during excavations offer a solution and a new way forward. The latest discovery, according to the study, shows evidence of plant processing, which includes “the extraction of fibers needed to make ropes, nets and fastenings needed for shipbuilding and high seas fishing.”
These archaeological sites, complemented by the discovery of fishhooks, the remains of deep-sea fish such as tunas and sharks, and other tools such as sinkers and gorges, offer a rich study of what is apparently an enduring seafaring culture.
“The remains of large predatory pelagic fish at these sites indicate advanced navigational abilities and knowledge of the seasonality and migration routes of these fish species,” the study authors write. The collection of fish and tool remains “indicates the need for durable and well-made gear for ropes and lines for catching marine life.”
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The relics indicate an advanced method of deep-sea fishing, prompting the study's authors to suggest that ancient sailors built boats from organic materials and held them together with ropes made from plants. This rope technology was then adapted for fishing.
While the discovery of fossils and ancient tools on remote island chains has long been considered evidence that early modern humans crossed open oceans, the study authors challenge the popular idea that these journeys were accidental. Researchers say these prehistoric travelers did not drift helplessly on bamboo rafts, but were highly skilled seafarers, equipped with the knowledge, planning and seafaring technology needed to cross deep waters and reach distant shores.
“Identifying boat-building materials through direct and indirect evidence is vital to understanding movements within and within the island,” the authors wrote in the study.
“The presence of such advanced maritime technology in prehistoric ISEA highlights the ingenuity of early Philippine peoples and their neighbors,” the authors said in a university statement, “whose knowledge of shipbuilding likely made the region a center of technological innovation tens of thousands of years ago and laid the foundations for maritime traditions that still thrive in the region today.”
