Scientists Re-Create a 30,000-Year-Old Sea Expedition

A group of Japanese and Taiwanese scientists wanted to learn what it was like to travel by sea back in the old days and tested it on a 30,000-year-old sea expedition. They wanted the experiment to be as accurate to the times as possible, so they also made and used prehistoric tools to build a boat and float across the sea between Taiwan and the Ryukyu Islands. Not surprisingly, this was not an easy feat, but the team managed to complete the voyage.

A 30,000-Year-Old Sea Expedition

Scientists believe that people started migrating to Japan around 30,000 years ago. It has long been wondered how ancient people traveled in such treacherous conditions. It was clear that some crossed over on a land bridge, but there is also evidence that many made the journey across the water.

The idea for the experiment began with a list of questions: How did Paleolithic people arrive at such remote islands as Okinawa? How difficult was their journey? What tools and strategies did they use? To answer these, the scientists figured, what better way than to do it exactly how it was done back then? So, the team, led by a University of Tokyo Professor Yousuke Kaifu, set out to build a water vessel and navigate the potentially dangerous waters.

The Boat – To Be Successful You Must Try and Try Again

Building a boat from scratch with no technology, directions, or modern tools is not an easy task. But to re-create a 30,000-year-old expedition, that was the only way. The team first had to determine the best material for the boat.

They first thought a reed boat would be sufficient to make the 140-mile trip from Wushibi, Taiwan, to Yonaguni, the nearest of the Ryukyu Islands. They learned quickly that the craft needed to be sturdier to survive the strong current. The Kurioshio, one of the world’s strongest ocean currents, concerned the team, and they knew they would need a robust vessel to fight it.

Their next attempt was using bamboo, which also proved unsuccessful. Finally, they decided to try a “dugout canoe,” basically a carved-out tree trunk made in the shape of a canoe. They made their own stone tools to cut down the tree and hollow out the log. The result was a 25-foot-long canoe named Sugime.

The Voyage

Once the construction of the Sugime was complete, the team, made up of four men and one woman, began to plan their trip. Again, staying true to the times, they were not permitted to use navigation, maps, or any resources besides the sun, stars, moon, ocean swells, and instinct.

It took an exhausting 45 hours of nonstop paddling to complete the trip, but they made it! After arriving on the island, the professor acknowledged that a return trip would not likely fare as well. The access to modern technology and information would make it easier, but all of that was clearly nonexistent at the time.

Though the entire experiment was done using only what was available to humans long ago, the team put a modern twist on it to help gather information about sea travel back then. The team created hundreds of computer simulations from the data gained from the journey. which provided valuable information about ancient sea travel and proved that the individuals making that trip so long ago were smart, innovative, and brave.

Professor Kaifu had this to say about the journey: “We now know that these canoes are fast and durable [tough] enough to make the crossing. Those male and female pioneers must have all been experienced paddlers.”

1. Japanese and Taiwanese scientists wanted to learn what it was like to travel by sea back in the old days and tested it on a 30,000-year-old sea expedition.
2. Using prehistoric-style tools, they decided to use a carved-out tree trunk made in the shape of a dugout.
3. For the journey, the team of four men and one woman could not use modern technology to guide the boat, so they depended on the sun, stars, moon, ocean swells, and instinct.