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The degree of intentionality behind ancient oceanic migrations, such as the one to the Ryukyu Islands between Taiwan and mainland Japan, has been widely debated. The researchers used satellite-tracked buoys to simulate the wayward old dinghies and found that the vast majority failed to make it through the disputed crossing. They concluded that the people of the Paleolithic 35,000 to 30,000 years ago must therefore have made the trip not by chance but by choice.
Human migration over the past 50,000 years is an essential part of human history. One aspect of this story that fascinates many is how ancient peoples had to cross distinct land masses. Professor Yosuke Kaifu of the University of Tokyo University Museum and his team are exploring this topic, in particular a crossing known to have taken place 35,000-30,000 years ago from Taiwan to the Ryukyu Islands, including Okinawa, in southwestern Japan.
“There have been many studies of Paleolithic migrations to Australia and its neighboring lands, often discussing whether these trips were accidental or intentional,” Kaifu said. “Our study focuses specifically on the migration to the Ryukyu Islands, as it is not only historically significant, but it is also very difficult to get there. The destination can be seen from the top of a coastal mountain in Taiwan, but not from the coast.In addition, it sits across the Kuroshio, one of the strongest currents in the world. If they crossed this sea on purpose, it must have been a daring act of exploration. “
This question of the intention of this trip is less easy to resolve than you might imagine. To study the likelihood of the trip happening by chance, it was necessary to measure the effect of the Kuroshio on the drifting gear. To do this, Kaifu and his team used 138 satellite-tracked buoys to trace the path of a possible wanderer captured during this trip.
“The results were clearer than I expected,” Kaifu said. “Only four of the buoys were within 20 kilometers of one of the Ryukyu Islands, and all were due to inclement weather conditions. If you were a former sailor, it is highly unlikely that you embarked on a voyage with such a storm on the horizon. What this tells us is that the Kuroshio steers the dinghies away from the Ryukyu Islands rather than towards them; in other words, this region must have been actively traveled. “
You might wonder how we can be so sure that the current itself is the same as it was over 30,000 years ago. But existing evidence, including geological records, tells researchers that currents in the region have been stable for at least 100,000 years. As for researchers’ confidence that Paleolithic travelers would not dare to face stormy conditions that might otherwise account for fortuitous migrations, previous research suggests these travelers were groups comprising families, whose modern analogues do not take such risks. .
“At first, I didn’t know how to demonstrate the intentionality of sea crossings, but I had the chance to meet my co-authors in Taiwan, the main Kuroshio authorities, and I had the idea to use spotting buoys, “Kaifu says.” Now our results suggest that the drift hypothesis for Paleolithic migration in this region is nearly impossible. I believe that we have succeeded in making a strong case that the ancient populations in question were not passengers of chance, but explorers. “
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Material provided by University of Tokyo. Note: Content can be changed for style and length.
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