Bound For Australia

Abstract

This chapter describes the origins and early phases of the First Mariners project, and the competitive background from which it emerged. The abortive Nale Tasih 1 expedition is described and its failure is analyzed. This is followed by archaeological and paleontological research in West Timor, which led to the discovery of Middle Pleistocene evidence, paleontological and archaeological, east of Atambua. The subsequent Nale Tasih 2 expedition succeeded in replicating the first colonization of Australia, and the dramatic circumstances of this epic journey are narrated in detail.

Keywords: First Mariners project, Nale Tasih 1, Nale Tasih 2, stegodon, stone tools, maritime experiments, West Timor, northern Australia, Pleistocene seafaring, Middle Paleolithic, maritime replication experiments.