Ancient pottery maps route to South Pacific
New dating of New Guinea artifacts is first hard evidence of 3,000-year-old cultural connection between islanders and seafarers
![New Guinea pottery](https://i0.wp.com/www.sciencenews.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/090215_bb_pottery_feat_free.jpg?fit=860%2C460&ssl=1)
HIGHLAND MIX Pottery fragments (far right) found in New Guinea are more than 3,000 years old, suggesting to researchers that island natives — who also made various stone implements (center and left) — influenced an Asian seafaring culture that spread eastward.
D. Gaffney 2015