A Different Paradigm for the Initial Colonisation of Sahul: Archaeological, genetic, demographic and geographic perspectives

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Publication Type pre-print manuscript
School or College College of Social & Behavioral Science
Department Anthropology
Creator O'Connell, James F.
Other Author Jim Allen
Title A Different Paradigm for the Initial Colonisation of Sahul: Archaeological, genetic, demographic and geographic perspectives
Date 2019-08-20
Description The questions of when and how humans reached Sahul, the Pleistocene continent of Australia and New Guinea, has remained a central issue of Australian archaeology since its development as an academic discipline in the mid-twentieth century. Additionally, this has been a dominant theme linking Australian and world archaeology. Modelling this event has persistently appealed to minimal assumptions - the simplest watercraft, the shortest routes, the smallest viable colonising groups. This paper argues that Australian archaeology can no longer ignore the way our understanding of this initial colonisation is being reshaped by current genomic research. It reviews this evidence and concludes that a colonising wave of hundreds or perhaps low thousands of people were involved. If correct, it suggests that we need to rethink our models, modify or discard the minimalist assumptions that have so far driven them and consider how this different paradigm affects our understanding of early settlement in Sahul.
Type Text
Publisher University of Utah
First Page 1
Last Page 24
Subject Sahul; Wallacea; colonisation; isolation; genomics; mitochondrial DNA
Language eng
Rights Management (c) James O'Connell and Jim Allen
Format Medium application/pdf
ARK ark:/87278/s69643vb
Setname ir_uspace
ID 1452586
Reference URL https://collections.lib.utah.edu/ark:/87278/s69643vb
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