An excavation on Timor reveals humans first settled on the island 44,000 years ago, long after the earliest occupation of Australia – suggesting migration to the latter took another route
A cave on the island of Timor has given archaeologists a vital clue to the route taken by ancient humans when they first made their way to the Australian continent.
In other locations on Timor, the oldest evidence of human occupation was less than 50,000 years old. Archaeologists were unable to look for older artefacts as, at all the other sites they studied, they hit bedrock rather than sediment layers that could potentially contain evidence of an earlier presence, says O’Connor.Sign up to newsletter
“This is the first time in Timor that we have sterile, non-occupation layers below evidence of people’s presence,” she says. The cave’s prominent location and access to resources gives the researchers confidence that it is unlikely to have been missed by any early humans travelling through the area.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
How evolving landscapes impacted First Peoples' early migration patterns into AustraliaNew research led by the University of Sydney offers fresh understanding of the migration patterns of Australia and New Guinea's First Peoples, and where they lived in the 40,000 years following humanity's arrival on the then combined continent. The work is published in the journal Nature Communications.
Read more »
How evolving landscapes impacted First Peoples' early migration patterns into AustraliaScientists have applied a dynamic model of the landscape to patterns of human migration into Sahul, the combined continent of Australia, Tasmania and New Guinea.
Read more »
College Football's Early 2024 Picks for Newly-Scheduled GamesMaking our early predictions for the early scheduled games on the 2024 college football schedule.
Read more »
RBA set for another hold in key interest rate as inflation runs highThe Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) will announce its decision on monetary policy early on Tuesday.
Read more »
Excavation reveals 'major' ancient migration to Timor IslandThe discovery of thousands of stone artifacts and animal bones in a deep cave in Timor Island has led archaeologists to reassess the route that early humans took to reach Australia.
Read more »
PFN's Super Early 2025 Mock Draft Goes Outside the Box for Giants in Round 1The Giants take an interesting route in this early mock draft.
Read more »