Stone Tools Discovered in Sulawesi Suggest Human Presence

In August 2025, scientists discovered stone tools on Indonesia’s Sulawesi island that may indicate humans lived in the Wallacea region as early as 1.5 million years ago — the earliest known human presence in this area between Asia and Australia.

Key Points

Discovery Site: Archaeologists from Australia and Indonesia unearthed small, chipped stone tools in Soppeng, South Sulawesi, used for cutting small animals and carving rocks.
Dating Evidence: Radioactive tracing of the tools and animal teeth found nearby suggests they are up to 1.48 million years old.
Significance for Migration Theories: The findings challenge existing beliefs that Homo erectus only reached Flores and Luzon around 1.02 million years ago, implying earlier and more advanced sea travel capabilities.
Species Identification: The tools are attributed to Homo erectus, predating the emergence of Homo sapiens.
About Wallacea: Wallacea is a group of islands in eastern Indonesia — including Sulawesi, Lombok, Flores, Timor, and Sumbawa — situated between Borneo and Java, and Australia and New Guinea.