Homo luzonensis : principales caractéristiques et implications pour l’histoire évolutionnaire du genre

La nouvelle espèce Homo luzonensis a été décrite en 2019 à partir d’un assemblage constitué de treize éléments fossiles découverts dans la grotte de Callao (île de Luzon, Philippines) en 2007, 2011 et 2015. La datation directe de deux de ces fossiles par les séries de l’uranium indique des âges minimums respectifs de 50 000 et 67 000 ans. Dans cette présentation, nous montrons que ces spécimens présentent une combinaison de caractéristiques morphologiques primitives (i.e. ressemblant à Austra..

THE EARLY AUSTRONESIAN MIGRATION TO LUZON: PERSPECTIVES FROM THE PEuffffABLANCA CAVE SITES

In the northern Philippines, interaction between the foragers of the Peuffffablanca cave sites and the early Austronesian farmers of the Cagayan Valley (northern Luzon) was established by at least 3500 years ago. Farmers exchanged earthenware pottery, clay earrings, spindle whorls and shell beads with foragers, possibly for forest products. This exchange, however, did not, on present evidence, include cereal-based foods such as rice. The botanical evidence from the cave sites shows a heavy reliance on wild and arboreal food sources

Cave Sites in Northeastern Luzon, Philippines: A Preliminary Soil Micromorphological Study

Soil micromorphology was among the approaches used to explore site formation in two cave sites in northern Luzon: Eme and Dalan Serkot Caves. Interplay of biogenic, sedimentary, and anthropogenic processes worked and reworked the archaeological sediments at both sites. Eme Cave was found to be highly bioturbated by faunal activities and shrink-swell processes, and caution is needed in interpreting its archaeological contexts. However, thin section study revealed wood ash and possible burnt soil fragments, along with charcoal, attesting to later prehistoric burning activity at the site at some time. In Dalan Serkot Cave, along with standard cave sediments a volcanic ash deposit was identified, apparently deposited before 6200 b.p., that must have a¤ected local communities, and that could be used as a stratigraphic marker for future research in the area

Cave sites in Northeastern Luzon, Philippines : a preliminary soil micromorphological study

Soil micromorphology was among the approaches used to explore site formation in two cave sites in northern Luzon: Eme and Dalan Serkot Caves. Interplay of biogenic, sedimentary, and anthropogenic processes worked and reworked the archaeological sediments at both sites. Eme Cave was found to be highly bioturbated by faunal activities and shrink-swell processes, and caution is needed in interpreting its archaeological contexts. However, thin section study revealed wood ash and possible burnt soil fragments, along with charcoal, attesting to later prehistoric burning activity at the site at some time. In Dalan Serkot Cave, along with standard cave sediments a volcanic ash deposit was identified, apparently deposited before 6200 b.p., that must have affected local communities, and that could be used as a stratigraphic marker for future research in the area.Not applicableRSAPS-ANU, Centre for Archaeological Research AN

Mobility of early Islanders in the Philippines during the Terminal 1 Pleistocene/Early Holocene boundary: PXRF-analysis of obsidian artefacts

The Philippine archipelago spans over two distinct biogeographic zones, Sundaland and Wallacea. We report in this paper on finds from Ilin Island just off the coast of SW Mindoro, and El Nido in Northern Palawan. While the island of Palawan is linked to Sundaland, Mindoro and Ilin Island belong to Wallacea, east of Huxley’s Line. Ongoing archaeological investigations at Bubog 1 Rockshelter on Ilin Island and Ille Cave & Rockshelter in northern Palawan, delivered obsidian artefacts, found in Terminal Pleistocene and Early Holocene layers. PXRF analysis of the obsidian samples from Mindoro and Palawan shows that they were coming from the same, yet unknown source. They clearly indicate that the two distinct palaeogeographical regions were linked to each other, suggesting human interaction and maritime networks as early as ca. 12ka BP. The results of this study contribute substantially to our understanding of the mobility of early islanders during the Terminal Pleistocene and the processes of human island adaptation and enhance our current knowledge of subsistence strategies across the region