Archaeologists have discovered primitive stone tools on Indonesia's Sulawesi island dating between 1.04 to 1.48 million years ago, representing the oldest evidence of human habitation in the Wallacea region and suggesting early hominins lived there before modern humans even existed.
The seven sharp-edged stone fragments were uncovered at the Calio site by co-lead researchers Dr. Adam Brumm from Griffith University's Australian Research Centre for Human Evolution and Budianto Hakim, senior archaeologist at Indonesia's National Research and Innovation Agency.
These tools, likely made by Homo erectus or a similar early human ancestor, required precise flaking skills to create useful cutting implements from larger river pebbles, demonstrating sophisticated toolmaking abilities over a million years ago.
The discovery suggests these ancient hominins somehow crossed dangerous ocean waters filled with sharks and crocodiles to reach Sulawesi, possibly by accidentally rafting on natural vegetation mats since they likely lacked the cognitive capacity to build boats.
Published in Nature journal, this finding connects to similar discoveries on nearby Flores island where "hobbit" humans (Homo floresiensis) lived, indicating Sulawesi may have been a crucial stepping stone for early human migration across Southeast Asian islands.
