56. The Great Migration

 

From Africa to Australia (the "southern route")

by C. Coupé and J.M. Hombert

 See also our introductory chapter to the subject

 

 

Table of Contents

 

1 Introduction - page 3

2 Archaeological and palaeological evidence of the colonization of Sahul by Homo sapiens - page 3

2.1 Archaeological evidence - page 3

2.2 Animal extinctions and ecological changes - page 4

3 The 'Out of Africa' hypothesis and the first migration towards Southeast Asia - page 6

3.1 Principal theories of the development of Homo sapiens: replacement of regional continuity - page 6

3.2 Coastal migrations towards Southeast Asia - page 7

3.2.1 Possible routes from East Africa - page 7

3.2.2 "Timing" - page 8

3.2.3 Cultural adaptation to navigation - page 10

4 The recalibration of a paradigm for the first peopling of Greater Australia - page 11

4.1 Synthesis of hypotheses concerning the passing from Sunda to Sahul - page 11

4.2 Data concerning changes in sea levels - page 13

4.3 Which route before 70,000 BP? - page 15

4.3.1 Geographical maps and data bases - page 15

4.3.2 To see or not to see: visibility and distances - page 16

5 Synthesis and Discussion - page 24

5.1 An old and intentional crossing of populations from Asia - page 24
5.1.1 Rafts and sea currents - page 25

5.1.2 Site locations and coastal movements - page 25

5.1.3 Palaeoclimates and evidence of animal extinctions page 26

5.1.4 Genetic data - page 27

-- Analysis of nuclear, mitochondrial and Y-chromosome DNA - page 27

-- Haphazard sea crossings to northwest Australia and genetic drift - page 27

5.2 The case of the Andaman islands - page 28

5.3 Different scenarios for the peopling of Australia - page 30

5.3.1 Acient DNA - page 30

5.3.2 Lithic industries - page 31

5.3.3 Linguistic and cultural elements in Australia and PNG - page 32

-- Linguistic data - page 32

-- Burial rites - page 32

-- Adaptation to rain forests - page 32

5.4 Some hypotheses about the date of language emergence - page 33

6 Conclusion - page 34

Appendix A: Calculus of visibility between two points - page 35

References - page 37

 

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Fig. 1. Ancient sites in Sahul.

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Fig. 2. Migratory routes from Africa to Sunda.

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Fig. 3. Birdsell's proposed routes to Greater Australia.

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Fig. 6. Walacea, current sea level

Fig. 7. Wallacea, sea level 30 m below current levels

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Fig. 8. Walacea, sea level 50 m below current levels

Fig. 9. Wallacea, sea level 80 m below current levels

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Fig.10. Names of islands for northern and southern routes.

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Fig. 11. Andaman Sea, current sea level.

Fig. 12. Andaman Sea, sea level 60 m
below current levels

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