Abstract
The first settlement of Australia over 40 000
years ago provides evidence of the maritime
capabilities of early modern humans. Did they
also take to the sea to fish? Recent analysis of
fish remains from sites in Timor-Leste and on
islands off the coast of Papua New Guinea
have been held to include deep sea species
that must have been obtained through pelagic
fishing. Here Atholl Anderson takes issue with
the evidence, arguing that inshore fishing is
a more likely scenario, and that deep sea
fishing was beyond the scope of Pleistocene
communities. Despite the early settlement
of Australia, advanced boat technology was
developed only during the Holocene. His
reassessment is followed by responses from Sue O'Connor and Rintaro Ono, Geoff Bailey and
Jon Erlandson, and finally by Atholl Anderson's reply to those comments.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 892-895 |
Journal | Antiquity |
Volume | 87 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 2013 |