Evidence of Human Arrival 44,000 Years Ago on Timor Island

A large wave of modern human migration reached the island of Timor around 44,000 years ago.

KOMPAS/FRANSISKUS PATI HERIN

One of the road sections connecting the Integrated Border Post (PLBNT) in Wini to the PLBNT in Napan on Timor Island, East Nusa Tenggara Province, as of September 2022. The route is used by residents of Timor Leste to and from Oeccuse, an enclave area surrounded by Indonesian territory. Oeccuse is located beyond that hill.

JAKARTA, KOMPAS — The latest archaeological evidence shows that a large wave of modern human migration reached Timor Island a> about 44,000 years ago. This finding provides important information that the arrival of modern humans to Australia around 65,000 years ago via the northern Wallacea Islands before reaching Papua. Timor Island and other southern islands were only reached by the next wave of migration.

This latest finding was reported by researchers from England and Australia in the journal Nature Communications on May 22 2024. Ceri Shipton from the Institute of Archeology University College London was the first author with lead author< /a> Sue O'Connor from the School of Culture, History & Language, Australian National University.

Previous research by Chris Clarkson of the University of Queensland in the journal Nature (2017) has found archaeological evidence that modern humans (Homo sapiens) arrived in Australia at least 65,000 years ago. These pioneers were part of the initial wave of people who traveled east from Africa, through the Eurasian landmass, and finally to Papua and Australia, which at that time were still one large landmass called the Sahul Shelf.

Since the discovery, researchers have been trying to find migration routes, especially in the Wallacea Islands, which are a stepping stone before reaching the Sahul shelf.

Also read: Two Major Currents of Population Mixing in Wallacea

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Laili site is among the oldest archaeological sites in the Wallacea Islands. The numbers on the map above correspond to the mentioned archaeological sites in the text: (1) Leang Burung 2, Leang Bulu Bettue, and Leang Tedongnge; (2) Liang Bua; (3) Makpan and Tron Bon Lei; (4) Laili; (5) Matja Kuru 2, Asitau Kuru, and Lene Hara.

Early life in Timor

Timor Island has long been considered a potential stepping stone for the first human migration between the Southeast Asian mainland to Sahul (the combined landmass of Australia, Papua, and the surrounding islands). During this ancient migration period, the sea level was lower, so many islands in Southeast Asia, which are now connected to the mainland, were part of the region known as the Sunda Shelf, while Australia and Papua formed a continent known as Sahul.

The islands located between Sunda in the west and Sahul in the east are known as the Wallacea Island. These islands have never been connected to each other or to the mainland, thanks to the ancient ocean that separates them. This means that, although the sea level was much lower compared to today, the area still remained in the form of islands.

The search for evidence of early migration in Timor is hampered by a lack of suitable sediment in caves and rock shelters. However, Clarkson and his team found new evidence in the Laili rock niche, which overlooks the Laleia River in north-central Timor Leste. Unlike other sites in the region, Laili preserves deep sediments dating to between 59,000 and 54,000 years ago that contain no signs of human presence.

Human beings arrived through deliberate and large-scale colonization efforts, not settlement by small populations. This is evident in the early traces of occupation, which included dense piles of artifacts and remains of food rich in fish and shellfish.

"Above this layer, we found clear signs of human presence on the land formed approximately 44,000 years ago. This provides clear evidence that although humans were not initially present in the local location and landscape, they later reached significant numbers," wrote Mike W Morley, Director of Flinders Microarchaeology Laboratory at Flinders University, who was involved in the study, in The Conversation.

By analyzing the sediment layers in Laili, researchers have shown that humans arrived through deliberate and large-scale colonization efforts, not settlement by small populations. This is evident from the early occupation traces, which include dense heaps of stone artifacts and remains of food rich in fish and shellfish.

“We used a technique called micromorphology to study sediment layers under a microscope,” said Mike and his team.

With this technique, researchers can also see sediments before the presence of humans. When humans enter the location, many traces of sudden activity appear, including compressed layers due to the passage of people on the shelter floor.

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Excavation profiles of Laili Squares A, C, D, and E showing layer numbers.

From another research, researchers also found evidence of humans arriving at other locations in Timor Leste and the nearby Flores Island between 47,000 and 45,000 years ago. Overall, all of this evidence strongly supports the view that humans arrived in this region around this time.

Previously, research by Patrick Roberts, archaeologist from the Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History, Germany and a team at the journal Nature Communication (2020) found evidence of modern human habitation on the coast of Alor Island and Timor Island, since 42,000 last year. These archaeological finds provide clues to the earliest human adaptation to the coastal environment of the Wallacea Zone, indicating the important role of this region in shaping maritime traditions.

In the study, Patrick and his team conducted isotopic analysis of fossil human tooth enamel found in Asitau Kuru, Lene Hara, Matja Kuru 1 and 2 (Timor), as well as Makpan and Tron Bon Lei (Alor). The conclusion was that the earliest humans to arrive on these two islands specialized in the use of coastal and marine resources.

A previous study by Sue O'Connor and a team in the journal Nature (2011) also found the remains of various pelagic fish species such as tuna and deep sea fishing equipment, dating back to around 42,000 years ago at the Jerimalai settlement site in East Timor. This pelagic fishing tool is the oldest in the world.

Also read: Wallacea Zone, the Beginning of Human Adaptation to the Sea

KOMPAS/AHMAD ARIF

The traditional community of Takpala Village in Lembur Barat, North Central Alor District, Alor Regency, East Nusa Tenggara, welcomed guests on Tuesday (12/5/2017). Genetically, Takpala people have a genetic structure that is 90 percent Papua and the rest Austronesian. This genetic trace is also narrated in mythology about their origins.

Migration route to Sahul

Shipton and his team also showed that the migration to these islands was a continuous process and not a single event, with the occupation of islands in the southern part occurring thousands of years after the initial occupation in the Paparan Sahul region.

However, this latest finding pushes for a re-evaluation of the route and timing of the earliest human migration to Sahul. The absence of human habitation evidence in Timor before 50,000 years ago suggests that humans arrived on the island later than previously estimated. The early path of the first human migration to the Sahul Platform is likely through the central or northern part of the Wallacea Islands.

This occurs because the islands in the southern part, including Timor Island, have fewer land animals suitable for consumption. The early colonizers needed flexibility to survive from fish and shellfish. Therefore, moving to these southern islands may have been more challenging compared to the northern islands that have more medium to large-sized land animals.