Discoveries of million-year-old stone tools on Flores Island reshape the hobbits’ evolutionary history, challenging previous timelines. Controversial yet fascinating, the study reignites debates about Homo floresiensis and their mysterious journey to Indonesia.
Hobbits’ Ancestral Journey Unveiled: Stone Tools Rewrite Evolutionary Timeline
Newly discovered stone tools on Indonesia’s Flores Island suggest the enigmatic “hobbits” existed a million years ago—200,000 years longer than previously believed. The study challenges the hobbit ancestors’ role in extinction events and proposes a more primitive origin.
Discovered in million-year-old volcanic sediments, the tools mirror those found in later periods associated with the hobbits. Archaeologist Adam Brumm from the University of Wollongong states this implies an ancient human culture, originating in Africa, endured on the island longer than anticipated.
This revelation extends the coverage of early human exodus from Africa, challenging previous timelines. The hobbits’ ancestors, previously linked to Homo erectus, might have been more primitive, according to the study.
The dating of the stone tools contradicts assumptions about the hobbits’ role in the extinction of pygmy elephants and giant tortoises. The tools indicate that these extinctions occurred a hundred thousand years after the island’s colonization, minimizing the early colonizers’ impact.
While some question the reliability of the date, the findings add fuel to the ongoing debate about Homo floresiensis. Whether a distinct species or modern humans with unique conditions, the hobbit mystery persists.
As controversy continues, the origin of these primitive humans on Flores remains uncertain. A theory proposing migration from Africa to Sulawesi, followed by an accidental rafting journey, offers one intriguing possibility.
