After the discovery in 2003 of the so-called Flores Man on the Indonesian island of Flores, and the subsequent unearthing of human remains on the Philippine island of Luzon – which also lent its name to a distinct species – researchers turned their curiosity to another Indonesian island: Sulawesi (also known as Celebes). This vast landmass, spanning several hundred thousand square kilometers, had already yielded some prehistoric secrets, including tools at least 194,000 years old. However, these finds could not compete with the artifacts from Flores, dated at 1.02 million years old, or those from Luzon, around 700,000 years old.

"We have searched for many years for evidence of the earliest humans of Sulawesi, so it is a great relief to finally find it," said Adam Brumm, an archaeologist and co-author of the study published on August 6 in the journal Nature. Together with colleagues from Australian and Indonesian universities, the team excavated the sediment layers at the Calio site, progressing 10 centimeters at a time. This meticulous approach paid off, allowing them to unearth seven flint tools.

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