Abstract
Sahul is the ancient landmass that confronted early colonists some 50,000 years ago. Today it makes up the present-day islands comprising New Guinea, Australia, and Tasmania, yet for 80% of human history Sahul was a single land mass. Reviewing the palaeoenvironmental and archaeological records and latest DNA studies, this chapter assesses the initial colonization and rapid dispersal of people into Northern Sahul and the islands of the Bismarck Archipelago, the their adaptations to a new flora and fauna, and their impacts on the local environment. The chapter will also attempt to model the nature of social strategies employed in this successful colonization and subsequent changes leading to the Holocene.