Homo Erectus From the Seabed—New Archaeological Discoveries in Indonesia

Homo Erectus Crossed an Ancient Land Bridge to Roam Southeast Asia 140,000 Years Ago

Learn how Homo erectus journeyed to the Indonesian island of Java, leaving behind fossils that now provide insight on the species' life before extinction.

These human ancestors weren't as lonely as experts thought

For years, archeologists assumed the ancient Homo erectus population that lived on present-day Java existed in general isolation from nearby island relatives. However, a pair of fossilized skull fragments recently found off the Javanese coast are helping experts recontextualize the lives of the region’s H. erectus populations as they existed around 140,000 years ago. According to a study published May 15 in the journal Quaternary Environments an…

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.

Archaeologists discover fossils of 36 vertebrate species on the seabed between the Indonesian islands, shedding light on the prehistoric habitat of Homo erectus DNA suggests that Homo sapiens descends from at least two human species.

Archaeological finds on the seabed off the coast of Java, Indonesia, offer...