ABSTRACT
The migration of modern humans to western Oceania by 50,000 years ago was part of a global expansion out of Africa, during which these early migrants colonised and adapted to a wide variety of environments and landscapes. Migrations into the continent of Sahul from Sunda would have involved a series of water crossings across the Wallacean Archipelago, as part of an island hopping movement. Entering Sahul involved two possible routes: the first, a southern route, passes through Timor into either what is the Sahul Shelf, or further north to what is today the Aru Islands. The second northern route passes through a series of islands including Halmahera and Seram, ending up in West Papua. Models of Sahul colonisation focused upon the maritime abilities of the early colonisers, suggesting that these people were adapted to exploiting coastal and marine environments, and able to rapidly move along coastlines.
