2016/09/16 by Masaki Fujita, Shinji Yamasaki, Chiaki Katagiri +16 · 1 citation
Social Sciences · Earth and Planetary Sciences · #Pacific and Southeast Asian Studies #Pleistocene-Era Hominins and Archaeology #Geology and Paleoclimatology Research #Archipelago #Pleistocene #Cave #Geography #Fishing #Archaeology #Oceanography #Geology #Ecology #Biology
paper · pdf · doi:10.1073/pnas.1607857113
openalex publication_date 2016/09/16 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/03
Maritime adaptation was one of the essential factors that enabled modern humans to disperse all over the world. However, geographic distribution of early maritime technology during the Late Pleistocene remains unclear. At this time, the Indonesian Archipelago and eastern New Guinea stand as the sole, well-recognized area for secure Pleistocene evidence of repeated ocean crossings and advanced fishing technology. The incomplete archeological records also make it difficult to know whether modern humans could sustain their life on a resource-poor, small oceanic island for extended periods with Paleolithic technology. We here report evidence from a limestone cave site on Okinawa Island, Japan, of successive occupation that extends back to 35,000-30,000 y ago. Well-stratified strata at the Sakitari Cave site yielded a rich assemblage of seashell artifacts, including formally shaped tools, beads, and the world's oldest fishhooks. These are accompanied by seasonally exploited food residue. The persistent occupation on this relatively small, geographically isolated island, as well as the appearance of Paleolithic sites on nearby islands by 30,000 y ago, suggest wider distribution of successful maritime adaptations than previously recognized, spanning the lower to midlatitude areas in the western Pacific coastal region.