Recent archaeological findings on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi have dramatically pushed back the earliest evidence of human occupation by approximately one million years. Stone tools discovered at the Calio site now indicate hominins were present on the island between 1.04 and 1.48 million years ago, a significant revision from the previously accepted date of around 194,000 years ago. This groundbreaking discovery was highlighted by Mungo Manic, who tweeted, > "Earliest date for human occupation on Sulawesi was just pushed back ONE MILLION YEARS!! (From 194,000 years ago to 1.04-1.48 million)."
The new evidence, published in the scientific journal Nature, stems from the analysis of seven stone artifacts found under a cornfield in the Walanae Basin. These tools, described as flint tools or stone fragments used for various implements, provide the earliest direct archaeological proof of hominin activity on the island. The research team, including scientists from Griffith University, emphasized the importance of these findings in re-evaluating the timeline of early human dispersal in Southeast Asia.
Sulawesi, part of the biogeographical region known as Wallacea, is an oceanic island that has never been connected by land to either the Asian or Australian continents. This geographical isolation implies that the early hominins who reached Sulawesi must have possessed the capability for sea crossings, a remarkable feat for such an ancient period. The discovery suggests that hominins arrived on Sulawesi at a similar time, or even earlier, than on other Wallacean islands like Flores, home to Homo floresiensis, and Luzon in the Philippines.
The identity of the hominins responsible for these ancient tools remains a mystery, as no human fossils from this period have yet been unearthed on Sulawesi. Researchers are hopeful that future excavations may yield fossil evidence to identify these early inhabitants. The findings open a new chapter in understanding how and when ancient human relatives spread across the archipelagic regions.
Beyond these ancient tools, Sulawesi is also renowned for its rich prehistoric art, including some of the world's oldest known cave paintings. This new evidence further solidifies Sulawesi's critical role in the study of early human migration and technological development in the broader Indo-Pacific region. The island continues to offer invaluable insights into the complex history of hominin dispersal.