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Abrupt onset of intensive human occupation 44,000 years ago on the threshold of Sahul.
Shipton, Ceri; Morley, Mike W; Kealy, Shimona; Norman, Kasih; Boulanger, Clara; Hawkins, Stuart; Litster, Mirani; Withnell, Caitlin; O'Connor, Sue.
Affiliation
  • Shipton C; Institute of Archaeology, University College London, London, UK. c.shipton@ucl.ac.uk.
  • Morley MW; ARC Centre of Excellence for Australian Biodiversity and Heritage, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia. c.shipton@ucl.ac.uk.
  • Kealy S; Archaeology and Natural History, College of Asia and the Pacific, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia. c.shipton@ucl.ac.uk.
  • Norman K; Flinders Microarchaeology Laboratory, Archaeology, College of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences, Flinders University, Adelaide, SA, Australia. mike.morley@flinders.edu.au.
  • Boulanger C; ARC Centre of Excellence for Australian Biodiversity and Heritage, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia. shimona.kealy@anu.edu.au.
  • Hawkins S; Archaeology and Natural History, College of Asia and the Pacific, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia. shimona.kealy@anu.edu.au.
  • Litster M; ARC Centre of Excellence for Australian Biodiversity and Heritage, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia.
  • Withnell C; Australian Research Centre for Human Evolution, Griffith University, Griffith, QLD, Australia.
  • O'Connor S; Centre for Archaeological Science, School of Earth, Atmospheric and Life Sciences, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, Australia.
Nat Commun ; 15(1): 4193, 2024 May 22.
Article in En | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38778054
ABSTRACT
Archaeological evidence attests multiple early dispersals of Homo sapiens out of Africa, but genetic evidence points to the primacy of a single dispersal 70-40 ka. Laili in Timor-Leste is on the southern dispersal route between Eurasia and Australasia and has the earliest record of human occupation in the eastern Wallacean archipelago. New evidence from the site shows that, unusually in the region, sediment accumulated in the shelter without human occupation, in the window 59-54 ka. This was followed by an abrupt onset of intensive human habitation beginning ~44 ka. The initial occupation is distinctive from overlying layers in the aquatic focus of faunal exploitation, while it has similarities in material culture to other early Homo sapiens sites in Wallacea. We suggest that the intensive early occupation at Laili represents a colonisation phase, which may have overwhelmed previous human dispersals in this part of the world.
Subject(s)

Full text: 1 Collection: 01-internacional Database: MEDLINE Main subject: Archaeology / Human Migration Limits: Animals / Humans Country/Region as subject: Africa Language: En Journal: Nat Commun Journal subject: BIOLOGIA / CIENCIA Year: 2024 Document type: Article Country of publication: Reino Unido

Full text: 1 Collection: 01-internacional Database: MEDLINE Main subject: Archaeology / Human Migration Limits: Animals / Humans Country/Region as subject: Africa Language: En Journal: Nat Commun Journal subject: BIOLOGIA / CIENCIA Year: 2024 Document type: Article Country of publication: Reino Unido