How sustainable was “seafaring”?
I’ve already heard from some correspondents (many thanks!) who consider it hubristic to predict the finding of more human species in Wallacea, when the case for one is still in doubt. Maybe so. I think that Sulawesi and Timor, in addition to other islands including Sumba and Sumbawa, may provide an important test. The reason? Seafaring. I haven’t seen anyone comment on the seafaring issue much since the Liang Bua remains were reported. Recall that when Lower to Middle Pleistocene stone tools were originally found on Flores (from the Soa Basin), their principal importance was documenting some kind of water-crossing technology in early Homo before 800,000 years ago. That was news — with no such evidence anywhere else in the world — and was subject to some controversy. Just how good did the “seafaring” technology have to be to establish an occupation on Flores? There were at least two water crossings (Lombok and Sape Straits) of more than 10 kilometers. Robert Bednarik has conducted a ser
