Million-year-old stone tools found on Indonesian island could unravel mystery of ‘hobbit’ humans
Stone tool discovery shows ancient ‘hobbit’ humans had a mysterious neighbour
- A new study suggests humans may have crossed mainland Southeast Asia to surrounding islands much earlier than previously believed.
- Million-year-old stone tools have been discovered on Indonesia’s Sulawesi island, indicating early human presence there.
- These artefacts suggest humans reached Sulawesi around 1.04 million years ago, potentially at the same time as or even earlier than Flores island.
- The findings contribute to understanding the movement of extinct humans across the Wallace Line and the evolution of species like the Flores “hobbit” (Homo floresiensis).
- While the tools confirm early human activity on Sulawesi, the identity of these tool-makers remains unknown as no hominin fossils have been found at the site.