New discoveries are constantly rewriting the story of humanity’s arrival in North America.  Recent research, as reported by the Times Colonist (Nov 9, 2025), reveals compelling evidence that early Asians reached North America by boat along the Pacific coastline: rather than solely on foot via inland routes.

​Ancient biface stone tools, found at archaeological sites from Virginia to Idaho and Florida, point to maritime migration from Hokkaido, Japan, up to 20,000 years ago. Genetic analysis and surprising archaeological finds suggest people settled Asia’s coastlines and islands before paddling to new lands.
Read the full article here.

By Sebastian Lim
PENANG is set to host the inaugural Commonwealth of World Chinatowns (CWC) Conference from Sept 3 to 8, 2025 at the JEN Penang Georgetown by Shangri-La — an ambitious convergence of art, science, history, and culture that propels the legacy of global diasporic Chinatown communities into the future.
The guest of honour for the opening event on Sept 5, 2025, at 8.30am will be Mr Chow Kon Yeow, Chief Minister of Penang. He will also be attending the gala dinner at the Grand Ballroom of JEN Penang on Sept 6, 2025. The dinner will feature Stella Kon's Dinner with Emily show (click here). Dinner tables are open for bookings (click here).
Gathering of insight and innovation
Institutions such as the 1421 Research Education and Exploration Foundation will play pivotal roles in shaping the conference narrative. Led by President Ian Hudson, the foundation spearheads research and exhibitions exploring early Chinese exploration and diaspora networks while bridging East and West — from Zheng He to Leonardo da Vinci (click here).

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE CONFERENCE

Prof Gerald Pollack – Exploring the frontiers of water science
On Wednesday, Sept 3, the Public Session features Prof Gerald Pollack (picture above) who will be delivering an illuminating talk titled “Forbidden knowledge? Water science at the frontiers of human knowledge”. He will explore topics such as fourth-phase water, mangrove desalination, and the AI hypothesis of life itself — threading science with visionary insights. (Click here)

“Zheng He–Da Vinci Juxtapose” exhibition

Highlighting the transcultural exchange of knowledge, the evening of Friday, Sept 5 sees an art launch at the Courtyard at Beach Street, Georgetown, titled Zheng He–Da Vinci Juxtapose (click here). This exhibition, curated with support from the 1421 Foundation, examines how exploration and creativity shaped both East and West. It forms part of a broader exhibition on Zheng He’s voyages and the Renaissance, inviting contemplation on cultural synthesis.
Sundaland & Southeast Asia’s megalithic civilisations

On Sept 3 (public session) and again on Sept 5 (official opening day), Prof Danny Hilman Natawidjaja from Indonesia presents on Sundaland pyramids and Southeast Asia’s megalithic civilisations. His talks unveil archaeological and geological findings with implications for understanding ancient regional complexity and civilisation development (click here).
International Space Academy & Young Cosmonaut School

The conference bridges to the cosmos with a suite of space-education programmes. Sept 3 launches the "Voyages: Ancient Maritime Silk Road to the Cosmos" student session. Highlights include a screening of The Challenge — the first feature film shot in space — followed by talks on China’s aerospace journey, eVTOL air-taxis, and the Malaysian space economy by Tan Sri Dr Mazlan Othman. The session culminates with presentations on the Young Cosmonaut School and Penang International Space Academy (click here).

On Sept 5, during the International Space Academy Plenary, there’s a tightly curated agenda featuring: * Tan Sri Mazlan Othman offering an overview of the academy (click here). * Ms Wu Xiaoxi discussing Chinese space education. * Timofey Egorov delving into Russian Cosmism and ethics in space (click here). * A culminating panel with Othman, Egorov, and Xiaoxi on pathways toward an International Youth Space Camp, spaceports, and asteroid mining.

Behind the scenes, the International Youth Space Academy (IYSA) is being developed through a collaboration between the Nonee Ashirin Foundation (NAF) and CWC Enterprise Pte Ltd, anchored in Penang as a flagship space-education centre for youth (click here). The IYSA brings together partners like Russia’s Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Centre, Shanghai Science & Technology Museum, Tech Dome Penang, and national space figures including Tan Sri Mazlan Othman.
There are many more interesting events lined up for the five-day CWC Conference. Check below for the link to the Conference programme.

The CWC Conference in Penang stands at the vibrant intersection of scientific frontiers, cultural heritage, and youth education. From Prof Pollack’s visionary exploration of water, to archaeological journeys across Sundaland, the evocative synthesis of East-West influences in the Zheng He–Da Vinci exhibition, and the launch of a pioneering space-education academy — this event promises to ignite connections across time, place, and imagination.

It’s a bold statement of how the histories rooted in Penang’s vibrant Chinatown can serve as gateways to global conversations — scientific, cultural, and cosmic alike. So watch this space for more new updates.

For more on CWC and the programme of the CWC Conference, click here and to register and get an early bird deal, click here.

Translated version of the press release (Editor: Pei Gang)

On 4 August 2025, the National Library of China held a donation ceremony. Renowned collectors Liu Gang and Chen Yu, along with their spouse, donated 630 types of precious ancient books, maps, and related publications – totalling 3,026 volumes (or pieces) – that they had meticulously collected and preserved over
several decades, to the National Library of China without any form of compensation.

This collection of literary treasures spans a vast timeframe and encompasses a wide range of subjects, with its highlights concentrated in fields such as astronomy, geography, mathematics, philosophy, traditional Chinese medicine, health preservation, and metaphysics, making it of significant academic research value.

In China, there are already very few collectors who have established specialised collections of ancient texts, and collectors like Liu Gang and Chen Yu, who have built a collection system with intellectual depth, are even rarer.

Among the numerous donated items is a copy of an ancient map titled ‘Map of Tribute-Paying Nations from All Over the World.’ Since its existence and some details were first publicly disclosed by the internationally authoritative magazine The Economist in January 2006, this map has sparked sustained and intense debate within the global historical, cartographic, and Sinological communities, emerging as one of the most controversial and research-worthy ancient maps of global significance. The copy faithfully reflects the
information of the original ancient map. The world outline depicted in the map, the foreign place names and customs marked, and especially the geographical information contained therein that transcends the mainstream understanding of the time, have been interpreted by some scholars as potentially challenging or supplementing existing narratives regarding the Age of Discovery, ancient Chinese worldviews, and the history of Sino-foreign exchanges.

Research into its authenticity, date of creation, information sources, and historical context has formed an important research topic in the international field of cartographic history over the past two decades. The inclusion of this copy of the ‘Map of Tribute-Paying Nations’ in the National Library of China, a national-level research institution, undoubtedly opens up new and more convenient academic  channels for domestic and international scholars to conduct close-up and in-depth research into the rich historical codes and diverse cultural values it contains, and is expected to drive related research to a deeper level.

Donation ceremony 
The donation by Liu Gang and Chen Yu was one of the most significant and valuable private donations received by the National Library of China since 1949, particularly in the fields of ancient maps and specialised literature. This collection of precious documents has not only greatly enriched the National
Library’s collection system but has also significantly expanded its holdings in areas such as the history of science and technology, the history of ideas, and the history of Sino-foreign exchanges. The National Library has included this collection in its ‘Ancient Books Special Collection’ for permanent preservation, further highlighting the unique value and profound significance of these documents. The significance of Liu Gang and Chen Yu’s donation to the National Library lies in the transformation of ‘private collections’ into
‘public assets,’ ensuring that the achievements of millennia of civilisation are preserved for future generations and benefit the public.

Read more online here.

A 7.5-meter (25-foot) dugout canoe was made using replicas of ancient stone tools.
Researchers have explored how early modern humans migrated by sea from Taiwan to southern Japan approximately 30,000 years ago. 
To unravel the mysteries of these difficult ancient voyages, the researchers employed a unique combination of numerical simulations and experimental archaeology. 
Interestingly, researchers from Japan and Taiwan, led by Professor Yousuke Kaifu of the University of Tokyo, recreated a 30,000-year-old sea crossing. 
The team set out in their handmade canoe, making the entire experience as authentic as possible.
For this, a 25-foot (7.5-meter) dugout canoe was made using replicas of ancient stone tools. The canoe was paddled about 140 miles (225 kilometers) across the open ocean, connecting eastern Taiwan to Yonaguni Island in Japan’s Ryukyu group.
How early human populations navigated the seas between islands like Taiwan and Southern Japan has remained a captivating mystery.
“We initiated this project with simple questions: ‘How did Paleolithic people arrive at such remote islands as Okinawa?’ ‘How difficult was their journey?’ ‘And what tools and strategies did they use?’” said Kaifu. 
“Archaeological evidence such as remains and artifacts can’t paint a full picture as the nature of the sea is that it washes such things away. So, we turned to the idea of experimental archaeology, in a similar vein to the Kon-Tiki expedition of 1947 by Norwegian explorer Thor Heyerdahl,” the author added.
One paper used numerical simulations to test navigating the strong Kuroshio Current. The simulation revealed that skillful boat-making and navigation could overcome the Kuroshio Current even with ancient tools.
The other paper detailed the heart of their experiment: building a real boat or canoe dubbed “Sugime.” In 2019, they reportedly built a dugout canoe from a Japanese cedar trunk, using replicas of 30,000-year-old stone tools.

The canoe was paddled in the Ryukyu group from eastern Taiwan to Yonaguni Island.
For over 45 hours, they navigated the open sea, often with their destination out of sight, relying solely on the sun, stars, swells, and their instincts.
The team initially theorized that ancient people used rafts for sea crossings.
However, experiments showcased that rafts were too slow and lacked the durability to work against the ocean currents. In contrast, the dugout canoe proved to be both “fast and robust.” 
“We now know that these canoes are fast and durable enough to make the crossing, but that’s only half the story. Those male and female pioneers must have all been experienced paddlers with effective strategies and a strong will to explore the unknown,” said Kaifu. 
“We do not think a return journey was possible. If you have a map and know the flow pattern of the Kuroshio, you can plan a return journey, but such things probably did not take place until much later in history,” Kaifu added. 
The team also ran hundreds of virtual voyages using advanced ocean models to fill in the gaps that a single experiment couldn’t.
The simulations explored different starting locations, seasons, and paddling approaches, considering current and historical ocean conditions.
The research found various insights into ancient seafaring strategies: starting from northern Taiwan increased the chances of a successful crossing.
RECOMMENDED ARTICLESFurthermore, a key tactic was to paddle slightly southeast instead of directly towards the destination. This subtle but vital adjustment was essential for compensating against the powerful Kuroshio Current.
These findings suggest that our ancestors had a remarkably sophisticated understanding of ocean dynamics and navigation.
The findings were detailed in two papers published in the journal Science Advances on June 25.

Dear Friends and Fellow Explorers,

​Across the globe, tides are turning in the way we understand our shared human story, and the 1421 Foundation is at the heart of that transformation. As guardians of ancient truth and champions of forgotten voyages, we're proud to bring you this special edition of our June 2025 Impact Report.
This is more than a newsletter -it's a celebration of discoveries, a reflection of progress, and a heartfelt call to action.

Zheng He: Reclaiming a Forgotten Legacy
Imagine an admiral who crossed the oceans a century before Columbus. This year, we continue our quest to find compelling evidence - including 15th-century maps, shipwrecks, and genetic markers - that strengthens the case that Admiral Zheng He's fleet reached the New World long before the Europeans.
Your support for the 1421 Foundation allows us to investigate, publish, and educate the world about this monumental rethinking of history. Every contribution helps fund the painstaking research that brings these forgotten voyages to light.
Read Ian Hudson's latest interview with New Asia Currents here.


Chenghua Porcelain: Fragile Proof of Bold Journeys
A pair of Ming Dynasty pumpkin-glazed cups dated to 1466 recently surfaced, offering beautiful, tangible proof of ancient maritime connections between China and the Americas. The craftsmanship is stunning - the implications, even more so.
With your help, we can continue cataloguing and authenticating similar finds around the world. Each piece tells a story of courage, exploration, and cultural exchange that predates everything we thought we knew about global connections. Read more here.


A Historic Breakthrough Beneath the Sea
In the Madura Strait, Indonesia, a landmark discovery has captivated the archaeological world. Homo erectus fossil fragments and the remains of 36 animal species were unearthed beneath the seabed - evidence that early humans thrived on now-submerged plains 140,000 years ago.
This work proves there is still much we don't know about our past, and it's thanks to our community that such research continues. Your donations directly support the technology and expertise needed to make these underwater discoveries possible.
Learn more from Live Science here.


Bronze Age Trade: The Minoans Set Sail
Off Israel's coast, archaeologists have recovered Cypro-Minoan ingots - marking an expansive trade route over 3,000 years ago between Cyprus and Sardinia. Our Foundation's researchers are actively connecting these dots, revealing how the ancient world was more globalized than we've been taught.
These discoveries show us that human ambition, curiosity, and connection stretch back millennia. Your support helps us piece together this remarkable puzzle.
Read more here.

The Commonwealth of World Chinatowns (CWC)
This September 2025, the 1421 Foundation will play a pivotal role in the inaugural Commonwealth of World Chinatowns Conference in Penang, Malaysia. Our president, Ian Hudson, will join key figures from ASEAN government, heritage organizations, and academic institutions across the globe to present new research into early Chinese exploration and diaspora networks.
The Foundation will be helping curate an exhibition about the transfer of knowledge between East and West, from Zheng He to Leonardo da Vinci, alongside producing a TV documentary and a range of archaeological projects centered around the ASEAN Archaeometry Research Center - a world-class research hub for archaeometry in Southeast Asia. This conference represents a unique opportunity to share our findings with decision-makers and scholars who can help amplify the impact of our work.
Learn more about CWC and its work here.


New Asia Currents Newsletter Launch
New Asia Currents, the official media arm of the Commonwealth of World Chinatowns, has launched the first edition of their newsletter - a comprehensive digest featuring stories and interviews published from March to May 2025. Please check it out and share with others who might be interested in these important discoveries.


HMS Victory Survey and Documentary Project
This July, a landmark deep-sea survey will document the wreck of HMS Victory (tragically lost in a violent storm in 1744 with Admiral Sir John Balchin and over 1,100 crew). Rediscovered in 2008, the site faces serious threats from erosion and trawling. Using non-invasive underwater robotics, the mission will create a detailed digital record before more is lost to the tides of time.
Members of the 1421 Foundation are involved in the project, which will also be the subject of a major TV documentary. Though not essentially part of the 1421 story, our work on this project reflects our shared commitment to preserving world maritime history. The clock is ticking - each passing storm and each fishing trawler brings us closer to losing this irreplaceable piece of our past.

Your Support Makes All the Difference
Every discovery you've just read about exists because people like you believe in the importance of uncovering our complete human story. When you support the 1421 Foundation, you're not just funding research - you're helping restore dignity to forgotten civilizations and giving credit where it's long overdue.

What Your Support Achieves:

• Fund expeditions and remote surveys that reach previously unexplored areas
• Enable translation and distribution of research so discoveries reach global audiences
• Support young archaeologists and researchers who represent the future of historical discovery
• Preserve fragile artifacts and data for future generations to study and appreciate

How You Can Help Today
The window for preserving these historical treasures is narrowing. Climate change, development, and time itself threaten archaeological sites around the world. But with your support, we can act while there's still time.


Every donation, large or small
- Helps fund carbon dating analysis of newly discovered artifacts
- Supports translation of ancient documents and maps
- Contributes to underwater survey equipment and technology
- Sponsors field research and expedition supplies


Every contribution, regardless of size, brings us closer to understanding the true scope of human achievement and connection across the ages.

Help Us Reclaim the Human Story
We're not just exploring the past - we're giving humanity back its global heritage, one journey, one discovery, one truth at a time. These aren't just academic exercises: they're acts of historical justice that honor the courage and ingenuity of our ancestors.
When we strive to prove that Chinese explorers reached the Americas decades before Columbus, we're not diminishing anyone's achievements - we're expanding our understanding of human capability and connection. We're showing that the spirit of exploration and discovery has always been a global phenomenon.


Join us. Donate today, and become a part of this extraordinary mission to uncover the complete story of human exploration and achievement.

Donate Now
Visit www.1421foundation.org/donate to make your contribution today.

Your support ensures that these remarkable discoveries continue and that future generations will inherit a more complete understanding of their amazing heritage.

With gratitude and determination,
Ian Hudson
​The 1421 Research, Education & Exploration Foundation

• London-based scholar and best-selling author Ian Hudson shares his views and researches on the Chinese explorer’s discoveries in the early 15th Century. Hudson specialises in ancient seafaring civilisations and global maritime exploration.
• Hudson began collaborating with historian Gavin Menzies in 2002, contributing to various projects such as book publications, 1421 and 1434; the “1421” exhibition in Singapore, and a television documentary series.
• There were compelling evidence of Zheng He’s arrival in America such as the Pizzigano map of 1424, and the Chinese DNA and artefacts.
  
  

By Sebastian Lim

FOR CENTURIES, the story of Christopher Columbus discovering America in 1492 has been ingrained in popular history. However, research by Gavin Menzies and Ian Hudson suggests that the Chinese, under Admiral Zheng He, may have reached the Americas decades before Columbus. This theory challenges conventional historical narratives and raises fascinating questions about pre-Columbian global exploration.
Voyage of Zheng He
Gavin Menzies’ book, 1421: The Year China Discovered the World, argues that a massive Chinese fleet set sail in 1421 under Emperor Zhu Di’s orders. Led by Zheng He, a trusted eunuch admiral, this fleet was the largest of its time, with ships up to 400 feet long — far larger than the vessels used by European explorers in later centuries.
The fleet’s mission was to explore, establish trade relations, and bring foreign nations into China’s tribute system. However, upon their return, they found that China had undergone a political shift. The new emperor had abandoned maritime exploration, and much of the historical record of Zheng He’s expeditions was erased. This left behind tantalising clues but no official recognition of the great voyages.
According to Menzies and Hudson, Zheng He’s fleet travelled far beyond Africa, possibly reaching the Americas in the early 1420s — more than 70 years before Columbus.
Evidence for a Chinese discovery of America
One of the most compelling pieces of evidence supporting this theory is the collection of maps including the Pizzigano map of 1424, which depicts Caribbean islands long before Columbus’ famous voyage. How could a Venetian cartographer have mapped these islands unless someone had already explored them? Other maps, such as the Fra Mauro map of 1459, contain details of places that had supposedly not been discovered by Europeans at that time.
“I find it hugely compelling that the whole world was charted with great accuracy before many of the European voyages of ‘discovery’ had taken place,” says Hudson. “How do you discover a place for which you already have a map? How could Columbus, Magellan and others be lauded as the discoverers of these far-flung lands if they had admitted to seeing them on maps in their possession? And who could have drawn those maps? Those are the questions that we are trying to answer!”

Beyond maps, there is physical and cultural evidence suggesting pre-Columbian contact between China and the Americas. One of them is the Chinese DNA in Native American populations.
Genetic studies have shown significant “recent” East Asian ancestry in some indigenous groups in the Americas, suggesting migration or contact via the Pacific rather than only the Bering land bridge.
Next are the Chinese artefacts found in the Americas, such as the Ming-era ceramics and metal objects that have been discovered in locations such as California and Peru. One particularly intriguing find is the Baby Buddha artifact in Australia, which some researchers believe was left behind by a shipwrecked Chinese expedition.
There is also the botanical evidence where crops like Asiatic rice, coconuts, and sugarcane were found in the Americas before European colonisation, suggesting early transoceanic exchange.
Shipwrecks, for Hudson, are another smoking gun — the “Holy Grail for 1421”! He adds: “If we can locate a Chinese shipwreck in the New World and date it to pre-Columbian times then we have proved the theory. The problem to date has been cost — salvage of wrecks is prohibitively expensive, so we must wait until either funds are raised, or we find a wreck that isn’t buried deep under vast masses of sand, silt or water! There are plenty of them out there!”
Meanwhile, accounts from early Spanish explorers from conquistadors such as Francisco Vázquez de Coronado describe encounters with indigenous people who bore striking similarities to Asian cultures. Some even recorded sightings of large ships on the west coast of North America, possibly belonging to Chinese merchants.
According to Hudson, “You are clearly able to read, to this day, accounts of the conquistadores who arrived in the Americas to find proof that Chinese explorers had been there before them.
“They described seeing wrecks of Chinese junks on the shores, and were taught by the native peoples that visitors from China had crossed the Pacific and traded with them in the past.”
Hudson’s role in Menzies’ research
Ian Hudson played a crucial role in developing the 1421 theory. After earning a degree in Spanish, Portuguese, and Latin American studies from the University of Bristol, he joined Menzies’ research team. His linguistic skills were invaluable in analysing those early Spanish and Portuguese texts, which contained references to pre-Columbian exploration.
Hudson contributed to multiple projects, including setting up the 1421 team of researchers, and the website www.gavinmenzies.net where researchers and history enthusiasts could share findings and discuss evidence. He also helped organise exhibitions, talks, and documentary collaborations to expand the reach of the 1421 hypothesis. He then set up the 1421 Foundation, a US-based non-profit research entity, with a view to testing and developing the hypothesis with scientific rigour.
As new information emerged, Menzies and Hudson published further books, including Who Discovered America?, which explored the idea that global exploration occurred thousands of years before Zheng He’s expedition. They questioned the widely accepted Bering Strait migration theory, arguing that ancient mariners had likely used ocean currents for long-distance travel.
“Our most recent book was written in the light of research which recognises that man has been using Mother Nature’s abundant provision of wind and water for much longer than we have given him credit for, using the world's oceans as transport corridors for thousands of years,” Hudson adds. “The currents in the North Pacific flow in a great loop carrying boats north from China, past Japan then swinging east past the Aleutian and Kurile islands to Alaska, and then south along the American coast to Central America.
“The more we think about the Beringia theory of populating the Americas, the more ridiculous it becomes. Our conclusion was that only armchair academics could believe in the Bering Straits theory of migration. It is another story to boost the myth that trans-oceanic journeys were impossible before Columbus.”
Rewriting history
If Zheng He’s fleet did reach the Americas, why is this not common knowledge? The answer lies partly in Eurocentric historical narratives. For centuries, Western historians have emphasised European achievements while overlooking non-European contributions to exploration and cartography. Additionally, China’s decision to withdraw from international affairs in the mid-15th century meant that much of its maritime history was lost or deliberately erased.
The 1421 hypothesis remains controversial, with some scholars questioning its claims due to the lack of concrete archaeological proof. However, discoveries such as ancient shipwrecks in the Americas and DNA evidence continue to fuel interest in the topic.
Gavin Menzies and Ian Hudson’s work has encouraged a re-evaluation of how history is written. It reminds us that history is not static but an ever-evolving field where new evidence can challenge long-held beliefs. Whether or not Zheng He’s fleet truly reached America, the idea that ancient civilisations were more interconnected than previously thought is a fascinating possibility.
In the end, the story of human exploration is far more complex than simple narratives of European discovery. If nothing else, the 1421 theory serves as an invitation to look beyond traditional history books and consider a world where the Chinese, and perhaps many other civilisations, explored the world long before Columbus.

View the original article here.

Yu Heng Wang Research and Innovation Center of Xia Culture of Eagle and Snake
​Guang Bao Liu Eagle and Serpent Xia Dynasty Cultural Research & Innovation InstituteDate Written: March 18, 2022
AbstractChinese Abstract:
民间收藏的一对明代成化年制的瓷杯上，出现有南瓜釉彩花纹，经仪器鉴定是1466年，即成化二年制造。这为加文·孟席斯关于郑和船队发现美洲的理论提供了又一强有力的证据支持。

English Abstract:
A pair of porcelain cups made during the reign of Cheng Hua Emperor in the Ming Dynasty in the folk collection have pumpkin glaze patterns on them, which were identified by the instrument as being made in 1466, that is, in the Second year of Cheng Hua. This provides another strong evidence support for Gavin Menzies' theory that Zheng He's fleet discovered America.

Please click here to view the research paper.

by Timothy James Dimacali, Ateneo de Manila University

The ancient peoples of the Philippines and of Island Southeast Asia (ISEA) may have built sophisticated boats and mastered seafaring tens of thousands of years ago—millennia before Magellan, Zheng He, and even the Polynesians.
In a paper in the Journal of Archaeological Science, Ateneo de Manila University researchers Riczar Fuentes and Alfred Pawlik challenge the widely-held contention that technological progress during the Paleolithic only emerged in Europe and Africa.
They point out that much of ISEA was never connected to mainland Asia, neither by land bridges nor by ice sheets, yet it has yielded evidence of early human habitation. Exactly how these peoples achieved such daring ocean crossings is an enduring mystery, as organic materials like wood and fiber used for boats rarely survive in the archaeological record.
But archaeological sites in the Philippines, Indonesia, and Timor-Leste are now providing strong evidence that ancient seafarers had a technological sophistication comparable to much later civilizations.
Microscopic analysis of stone tools excavated at these sites, dating as far back as some 40,000 years ago, showed clear traces of plant processing—particularly the extraction of fibers necessary for making ropes, nets, and bindings essential for boatbuilding and open-sea fishing.
Archaeological sites in Mindoro and Timor-Leste also yielded the remains of deep ocean fish such as tuna and sharks as well as fishing implements such as fishing hooks, gorges, and net weights.
"The remains of large predatory pelagic fish in these sites indicate the capacity for advanced seafaring and knowledge of the seasonality and migration routes of those fish species," the researchers said in their paper. Meanwhile, the discovery of fishing implements "indicates the need for strong and well-crafted cordage for ropes and fishing lines to catch the marine fauna."
This body of evidence points to the likelihood that these ancient seafarers built sophisticated boats out of organic composite materials held together with plant-based ropes and also used the same rope technology for open-sea fishing.
If so, then prehistoric migrations across ISEA were not undertaken by mere passive sea drifters on flimsy bamboo rafts but by highly skilled navigators equipped with the knowledge and technology to travel vast distances and to remote islands over deep waters.
Several years of fieldwork on Ilin Island, Occidental Mindoro, inspired the researchers to think of this topic and to test this hypothesis. Together with naval architects from the University of Cebu, they recently started the First Long-Distance Open-Sea Watercrafts (FLOW) Project with the aim of testing raw materials that were probably used in the past, and to design and test scaled-down seacraft models.
The presence of such advanced maritime technology in prehistoric ISEA highlights the ingenuity of early Philippine peoples and their neighbors, whose boat-building knowledge likely made the region a center for technological innovations tens of thousands of years ago and laid the foundations for the maritime traditions that still thrive in the region today.
More information: Riczar Fuentes et al, Testing the waters: Plant working and seafaring in Pleistocene Wallacea, Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports (2025). 

Journal information: Journal of Archaeological Science