Multicultural frontiers and human histories on the fringe of tropical Sahul

Australia has a 60,000-year human history that is critical to understanding global human migrations and past strategies of adaptation to environmental challenges. Although Australia and New Guinea were joined as a single continent for much of this time, we know very little about the rich human history of New Guinea the world's most culturally diverse region. Past climate changes drastically altered how and where people lived, offering strategic insights into future climate-related social impacts. This project explores a preserved ancient coastline in eastern Papua New Guinea that was a hub for human settlement over millennia. Integrating traditional knowledge with innovative analytical approaches and cutting-edge technologies, such as high-resolution laser drone mapping, it will assess the past roles and effective limits of multicultural social networks in mitigating environmental im