How Do Stone Tools Reflect Cognition Among the First Australians and the Precursors

The popularity of the Indonesian 'hobbit' (Homo floresiensis) discovery provides an ideal platform for interpreting Australasian prehistory to a wider community. This project explores the arrival of modern humans in Indonesia, their interaction with 'hobbits', and the colonisation of Australia by comparing the different ways these hominins made stone tools. Although research indicates a significant level of behavioural unity in our genus, 'hobbits' were not like us. 'Us' refers, of course, to modern humans, and hence this research is of global relevance. By applying a 'design space' model to toolmaking in the past, this project will demonstrate that the earliest trends in technology apply equally to human groups throughout the world.

Funder: Australian Research Council
Award Value: $241,000