Ancient Tools Contradict the Timeline of Civilization

When studying the proliferation of humanity across the globe, researchers have been stumped by how the islands of Southeast Asia (ISEA) became well-inhabited so long ago.

It was thought that technological seafaring advancements to make this possible were unlikely during the Paleolithic era. But research now shows that the ancient people of the Philippines and ISEA may have mastered seafaring well before anyone else.

The evidence is stone tools excavated in the Philippines, Indonesia, and Timor-Leste, which indicates that 40,000 years ago, ancient seafarers had technological sophistication that rivals much later civilizations.

Proving seafaring history is tricky because wood and fiber that would have been used to construct Paleolithic seacraft rarely survive in the archaeological record. These stone tools show traces of plant processing to extract fibers used for making ropes, nets, and boatbuilding bindings. When you also discover fishing hooks, gorges, net weights, and the remains of deep-ocean fish (tuna and sharks), it is plain these archeological sites are of a robust seafaring culture.

The remains of large predatory fish indicate advanced seafaring capabilities as well as knowledge of those fish species’ migration routes. The fish and tool remains show a need for strong and well-crafted cordage for ropes and fishing lines.

It seems that ancient seafarers constructed boats from organic materials and held them together with ropes. The rope technology was then adapted for fishing.

Up until now, the prevailing theory is that prehistoric migrations were passive sea drifters on bamboo rafts. These researchers posit that such migrations were made by highly skilled navigators who had the knowledge and technology to travel over deep water to remote locations.

This advanced maritime technology highlights the ingenuity of early ISEA peoples. Their boat-building knowledge probably made the region a center for technological innovations thousands of years ago, laying the foundation for maritime traditions that still thrive there today.

 

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/archaeologists-found-ancient-tools-that-contradict-the-timeline-of-civilization/ar-AA1QBNgO?ocid=hpmsn&cvid=6920dbd5e422464a91ca37688bfb70ec&ei=40