Homo erectus from the seabed, new archaeological discoveries in Indonesia

Archaeological finds off the coast of Java, Indonesia provide insight into the world of Homo erectus, 140,000 years ago. Skull fragments and other fossil remains provide a unique picture of how and where these early humans lived, says Leiden archaeologist Harold Berghuis. During dredging operations in the Madura Strait, archaeologists found the fossilised remains of 36 vertebrate species. This is the first discovery of fossils from the seabed between the Indonesian islands. This area, called Sundaland, was once a vast lowland. Among the finds are two skull fragments of Homo erectus. Together, the finds provide a unique image of a prehistoric ecosystem and the position of Homo erectus in this ecosystem. New insights Fossil remains of Homo erectus have previously been found on the island of Java, the most famous of which are skulls from sites such as Trinil, Sangiran and Ngandong. Until today, researchers thought that Homo erectus had lived for long in isolation on Java. The new finds ... Read full article.