Virtual Design and Testing of Prehistoric Seacrafts in Island Southeast Asia

Alfred F. Pawlik1,2*, Riczar B. Fuentes1,2, Jacklyn Antolihao-Descartin3, and Carlos Oppus4

Sea crossings were a vital component of prehistoric movements and migrations towards island environments, specifically in Southeast Asia. Key pieces of archaeological evidence point to the successful and permanent colonisation of Island Southeast Asia by our species, Homo sapiens. However, the question of what type of seacraft was used is still an ongoing question. Current experimental designs focus on rafts and dugout canoes to test usability and functionality of seacrafts in actual open sea crossings. Since there is still no direct evidence of these technologies, the design for a watercraft that could support groups of humans in successfully reaching Island Southeast Asia remains open for debate. In this paper, we present an attempt to virtually design and test seacrafts as a first step towards understanding the mechanisms of prehistoric open-sea faring in the region, and report on our results of the virtual testing of relevant parameters in relation to the potential design of seacrafts associated with maritime voyages in Island Southeast Asia during the Pleistocene.