Soppeng, Indonesia: Archaeologists from Indonesia and Australia have discovered stone tools in South Sulawesi, Indonesia, that may represent the earliest known evidence of human presence in the Wallacea region, dating back as far as 1.48 million years. The artifacts, unearthed in the Soppeng region, are small, chipped stone tools believed to have been used for cutting small animals and carving objects, indicating deliberate tool-making by early hominins.

The findings significantly push back the timeline of human migration into Wallacea. Previous evidence from Flores suggested hominin presence around 1.02 million years ago, while earlier discoveries in Sulawesi only dated to approximately 194,000 years ago. This new discovery indicates that early hominins reached Sulawesi hundreds of thousands of years earlier than previously thought.

No hominin fossils were found alongside the tools, leaving the identity of the toolmakers uncertain. Researchers speculate they could have been Homo erectus or another, as-yet unknown, human relative. The means by which these ancient populations reached Sulawesi also remain a mystery, with scientists suggesting natural rafting on vegetation mats as a possible explanation rather than intentional seafaring.

The discovery has important implications for understanding early human dispersal in Southeast Asia. Sulawesi’s ecological diversity raises the possibility of unique evolutionary developments, similar to those seen in Flores with the emergence of Homo floresiensis, the so-called “hobbit” species.

The research, published in the journal Nature under the title "Hominins on Sulawesi during the Early Pleistocene," used advanced dating methods, including paleomagnetic analysis and a combination of U-series and electron-spin resonance dating, to place the artifacts between 1.04 and 1.48 million years old. Scientists say the find reshapes the narrative of ancient human migration, suggesting early hominins ventured into island regions much earlier and farther than previously assumed.