Scientists have used a dynamic model of the landscape to study the migration patterns of humans in Sahul, which includes Australia, Tasmania, and New Guinea. The University of Sydney led new research that sheds light on the migration patterns of the First Peoples of Australia and New Guinea, and where they lived in the 40,000 years after humans first arrived on the continent.
By using a dynamic model that tracks changes in the landscape, researchers have offered a more accurate description of the areas inhabited by the first humans to inhabit Sahul.
The combined landmass of what is now Australia, Tasmania, and New Guinea is being studied by Associate Professor Tristan Salles from the University of Sydney’s School of Geosciences. The research model takes into account the evolution of the landscape due to climate during the time of human dispersal. This approach is unique, as previous studies of migration patterns have mainly relied on archaeological evidence. Associate Professor Salles emphasized the importance of considering the Earth’s surface evolution as people migrated, which has often been overlooked. He stated that landscapes and landforms are closely related to human migration across the continent.
Their findings were consistent with archaeological evidence that suggests the earliest human inhabitants of Sahul were skilled and adaptable, successfully navigating a diverse range of landscapes and climates. This new model sheds light on the challenges and opportunities faced by the first Aboriginal Australians as they established themselves in this ancient land.
Based on earlier research, it is highly likely that humans inhabited well-known archaeological sites such as Ngarrabullgan Cave, the Puritjarra rock shelter, and the Riwi Cave and Carpenter’s Gap 1 rock shelter. The study found that migration speeds ranged from 360 meters to 1.15 kilometers per year, depending on entry points and arrival times. It also suggested that early settlers would have spread across the continental interior along river corridors on both sides of Lake Carpenteria. The palaeoecological reconstructions provide evidence of human occupation.The research indicates that instead of well-defined migration routes, there is a radiating wave of migration following rivers and coastlines. This aligns with known migration corridors, such as the corridor east of Lake Carpentaria following the Great Dividing Range, southern corridors connecting Lake Eyre to the eastern corridors, and central super-highways transecting Australia’s arid interior. These findings are based on diverse interior habitats including high altitude tropical forest, subtropical savannah, semiarid woodland, and grassland. This information was provided by Associate Professor Salles. The research was used in conjunction with mechanistic simulation.ns, the results might assist in determining the frequency of visits to a specific location.
“This could be helpful in identifying new areas of archaeological interest before conducting more expensive and time-consuming surveys,” Associate Professor Salles explained.
Journal Reference:
- Tristan Salles, Renaud Joannes-Boyau, Ian Moffat, Laurent Husson, Manon Lorcery. Physiography, foraging mobility, and the first peopling of Sahul. Nature Communications, 2024; 15 (1) DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-47662-1.