A submerged landscape at the entrance of Sahul

Abstract

It is still unclear when and how people reached Sahul, the former landmass including Australia and New Guinea. The Bird’s Head of West New Guinea, Indonesia, is considered to be a likely entrance point from a northern route. But, despite being an important stepping stone, not much research has been done in the area. Misool, now a part of the Raja Ampat Islands, is a key location for people arriving from the west. As part of the Sahul Shelf, it was connected to New Guinea during lower sea level stands and only became an island when sea levels rose. Under these conditions, Misool underwent numerous environmental changes over the last glacial cycle. However, there is still a huge knowledge gap in and around Misool, especially with regard to palaeoenvironmental studies of ecological and anthropogenic change. Here we synthesise the research in this area so far. We present a first detailed reconstruction of potential sea level fluctuations and propose how coastlines could have looked during the likely periods of human colonisation. We investigate the circumstances under which people could have interacted with this highly dynamic landscape. Furthermore, we propose potential research prospects for future expeditions. Show more