Maricon S.

Asilo
BS Psych 1-Y1-1

1. What are the lessons you have learned from the excerpts of “The Tabon Caves” by
Robert Fox? How about the video entitled, The Philippine Story series, The Tabon
Caves by Hugh Gibb and Robert B. Fox? Please list down at least 5 details from these
sources. Can they be considered as a primary source? Yes or no. Explain.

After reading "The Tabon Caves" by Robert Fox, I got some new information about
Philippine history, I am familiar with homo sapiens because when I was in high school
my teacher in Araling Panlipunan tackled about this but didn't mentioned the "Tabon
Caves". This excerpt gives me knowledge on how and when they discovered the fossil
bones. These fossilized bones were discovered along the cave's left wall, near the
cave's back entrance but Megapode birds have disturbed the region where the
prehistoric human bones were discovered. The relationship of these bones with a
particular flake assemblage could not be established in 1962. In addition, Tabon Man
is thought to have lived between 22,000 and 24,000 years ago, based on the
available evidence. However, only more cave excavations and chemical analyses of
human and animal bones from disturbed and undisturbed cave levels will be able to
determine the actual age of the human remains. On the video that I'd watched, I've
seen Dr. Robert fox and Dr. Alfred Evangelista who discovered a jar, stones, hundreds
of seashells and a skull. Some information are the following:

 7,000 years- 2,000 years ago was the new stone age or neolithic in the
Philippines during new stone age a man sailed into the island, this man vastly
improved the stone technology.
 Dr. Fox knew that stone age man lived in the limestone cave and they chose
to visit Palawan island because it almost joined the coastline of Borneo where
few years earlier and the great limestone of cave Mia in the state of Sarawak
remains of stone age man has discovered.
 More than 200 jars were found in tabon caves, these jars are jar burial.
 During an excavation conducted by the archeologist Robert D. Fox in 1962,
they found human fossils of at least 3 individuals; skullcap or frontal bone,
jaws, and pieces of teeth - intuitively dating to 22,000 to 24,000 years old.
 Tabon Cave is located at Lipuun Point, in the municipality of quezon, Palawan.
It is facing the south china sea and the mouth is 33 meters above sea level.
This cave is one of the 30 other caves that were sheltered by early
inhabitants.

This excerpt can be considered as primarily sources because Dr. Fox and Dr.
Evangelista together with their colleages was the one who discovered the bones,
burial jars and other stones/shells that can use as an evidences to prove the study. In
addition, Dr. Fox was the one who lead the excavation, where we can watch on the
youtube the actual video that happened on tabon cave.

2. Compare the findings of Robert Fox on the Tabon man with the findings of William
Henry Scott. Can the account of William Henry Scott be considered a primary source?

From the discovery of fossilized bits to the discovery of Flakes Assemblages, their
documentations are strikingly comparable. The age of each object is determined one
by one; the fossils are thought to be 5,000 years old, while the c-14 trace dates from
7000 B.C., 20, 000 B.C., and 28, 000 B.C. Nevertheless at least based on the passages
provided, Scott's contents place a greater emphasis on defining the racial affiliations
of the remains than Fox's evidence did.

Background checks are one way to determine the reliability and authenticity of their
writings. William Henry Scott is a historian who, predictably, is involved in reviewing
the contents of historical textbooks that were produced several years ago. His duty is
limited to the analysis and interpretation of primary sources. Because Robert D. Fox's
work is simply a foundation for Scott's work, it is regarded as a secondary source.