It has long been assumed that Indigenous Australia was isolated until Europeans arrived in 1788, except for trade with parts of present day Indonesia beginning at least 300 years ago. But our recent archaeological research hints of at least an extra 2,100 years of connections across the Coral Sea with Papua New Guinea [(PNG)].
[...]This means societies with complex seafaring technologies and widespread social connections operated at Australia's doorstep over 2,500 years prior to colonisation. Entrepreneurial traders were traversing the entire south coast of PNG in sailing ships.
There is also archaeological evidence that suggests early connections between PNG and Australia's Torres Strait Islands. Fine earthenware pottery dating to 2,600 years ago, similar in form to pottery arriving in the Gulf of Papua around that time, has been found on the island of Pulu. Rock art on the island of Dauan further to the north depicts a ship with a crab claw-shaped sail, closely resembling the ships used by Indigenous traders from PNG.
Were the aborigines trading with other islands in Oceania?
(Score: -1, Flamebait) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday April 13 2019, @01:34AM (3 children)
If they traded, it was probably for alcohol.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday April 13 2019, @03:42AM
Or petrol and bags.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday April 13 2019, @11:12AM
If they were given boats by people who felt sorry for them did they just burn them or sink them in the ocean for fun?
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday April 13 2019, @06:02PM
The barrier reef is just all the empties they tossed over the side.
(Score: 4, Interesting) by Runaway1956 on Saturday April 13 2019, @01:36AM (4 children)
Elsewhere, the DNA people have figured out that Polynesians have settled in South America multiple times. It doesn't take much to extrapolate that the same people might have wandered just as far in the opposite direction.
https://www.sciencenews.org/article/ancient-dna-fossils-south-america-populated [sciencenews.org]
The arrival of white people in Australia is only that. It doesn't signal the beginning of sea faring, or the beginning of life, or anything else.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday April 13 2019, @03:07AM (3 children)
No, they did not. This is incorrect. Another thing Runaway does not know.
(Score: 2) by Runaway1956 on Saturday April 13 2019, @04:28PM (2 children)
Citations, dipstick. The link I supplied doesn't *specifically* say that Polynesians settled the new world in at least 3 waves, but it DOES state specifically that SA WAS settled in waves. But, yes, other articles that I have read in recent years very specifically state that Polynesians came to South America in at least three separate waves. More, they traced one of those waves over the mountains, into the lower elevations on the east side, and found their descendants still living there today.
What are you, jealous because I read more than you? Or, just jealous that I talk more than you?
Try reading - start here maybe? https://arstechnica.com/science/2013/01/polynesians-reached-south-america-picked-up-sweet-potatoes-went-home/ [arstechnica.com]
Pair that story up with the story under discussion.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday April 14 2019, @10:10AM
Read you citation, you moron. Does not say what you think it says, since you lack basic education and reading comprehension. Go soak your head in a bucket, Runaway! You are an idiot! Can you even read at a fifth grade level?
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday April 14 2019, @10:13AM
What do you expect, from a "scholar" that has "Trey Gowdy" anything in his sig. Southerns, they not too bright be.
(Score: 4, Funny) by istartedi on Saturday April 13 2019, @01:44AM (2 children)
Everybody knows that PNG can handle more depth than GIF.
Appended to the end of comments you post. Max: 120 chars.
(Score: 1, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday April 13 2019, @02:19AM
Pics or it didn't happen.
(Score: 2) by fritsd on Saturday April 13 2019, @07:31PM
Let's not have a tiff over this..
(Score: 2, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday April 13 2019, @01:55AM
It was already suspected that commerce was going on between Indonesia and Australia much sooner than originally thought. Dingos, which are basically the oldest known race of dogs, came from Asia and were probably brought to Australia originally as trade goods. And their presence on the australian continent is suspected to date back several thousand years.