THE INITIAL PEOPLING OF WALLACEA AND SAHUL

This paper reviews significant misunderstandings concerning the earlie st evidence of human colonizations involving sea travel. In particular , the navigational ability of Homo erectus is considered, and its impl ications for the technological, cognitive, and intellectual capability of that species. Some of the epistemological implications for heurist ic modelling dynamics in archaeology are discussed, especially in rela tion to limitations imposed by language and familiarity with existing archaeological literature.