Bridging Artefacts and Ancient DNA: New Perspectives on Human Mobility in Island Southeast Asia

Charlie Cooper1*, Shimona Kealy1, Ray Tobler1, and Leonard Taufik2

Island Southeast Asia (ISEA) has a deep and rich history of hominin dispersals, interaction, and cultural exchange. Archaeological research based on material culture has identified several key periods of human movement across the region, extending from initial Pleistocene arrival through to the late Holocene. Notably, this includes the Austronesian expansion from Taiwan ca. 4 ka which introduced agriculture, domesticated animals, and red-slipped pottery into the Wallacean Archipelago and beyond. Yet archaeological evidence also reveals early-mid Holocene networks were established connecting Wallacean communities prior to the arrival of the Austronesians. Similarly, by ca. 2.5 ka, archaeological assemblages indicate expanding networks of maritime exchange, with artefacts from mainland Southeast Asia, metal, and decorated pottery sherds appearing throughout Wallacea. The advancement of ancient DNA (aDNA) analysis in ISEA provides a new line of evidence for investigating these population movements. When considered alongside archaeological interpretations of material culture and site use, genetic data offers the potential to clarify patterns of migration, interaction, and admixture across the region. This paper presents new aDNA analysis from Wallacea and explores how integrating genetic and archaeological evidence can contribute to ongoing debates regarding the timing, direction, and nature of human mobility in Island Southeast Asia.