Scientists Replicate 140-Mile Prehistoric Canoe Voyage Across Kuroshio Current

Researchers have demonstrated that Paleolithic humans likely made a 140-mile seafaring journey from present-day Taiwan to Japan's Ryukyu Islands around 30,000 years ago by recreating the voyage using a dugout canoe made with stone tools from that era. Earlier attempts with reed and bamboo rafts failed due to their instability against strong currents, but a dugout canoe crafted from a Japanese cedar tree proved durable and fast enough to cross the Kuroshio current. The experimental voyage, which lasted over 45 hours and was navigated using the sun, stars, and ocean swells without modern instruments, confirmed that such a crossing was possible for skilled paddlers with advanced navigational knowledge. This reenactment provides valuable insights into ancient maritime technology and supports the theory that early humans engaged in intentional seafaring rather than accidental drifting during their expansion across Pacific islands. The research highlights the sophisticated boat-building and navigation capabilities of prehistoric populations despite the absence of surviving physical vessels from that time. These findings deepen our understanding of early human migration and seafaring in the Western Pacific region during the Upper Paleolithic era.