Ancient Mariners of Southeast Asia: The Boatbuilders Who Crossed the Ocean 40,000 Years Ago

Long before recorded history, when vast ice sheets covered much of the Earth and early humans were just beginning to explore the world beyond Africa, a remarkable group of seafarers was already crossing the open ocean. The ancestors of today’s islanders in the Philippines and Island Southeast Asia (ISEA) were not just drifting along ocean currents—they were building boats, crafting fishing tools, and navigating deep waters thousands of years before the Polynesians or the great Chinese and European explorers.

A recent study published in the Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports¹ presents new evidence that humans living in the region as far back as 40,000 years ago had the technological skill to construct sophisticated boats and exploit deep-sea resources. The research, conducted by Riczar Fuentes and Alfred Pawlik of Ateneo de Manila University, challenges long-held assumptions that advanced Paleolithic technology only emerged in Africa and Europe.